Throw Me Around Like One Of Your French Girls
by dfcfanfics
Summary: Reflecting upon an unpleasant encounter, Marinette makes a small realization... as Ladybug, she can defend herself with ease, but what happens if she's facing down unwanted physicality as Marinette? It's a good thing that she happens to know a classmate who's studying the martial arts, if he'd be willing to teach her some things? A short multi-parter. Oh, hi! We're back.
1. Chapter 1

MiraculElse #16: Throw Me Around Like One of Your French Girls

by DFC

(Timeline: Post-Season 3.)

* * *

A few nights after Adrien's cousin had returned home – _and good riddance to him_, thought Marinette with a shudder, she found herself reflecting on her encounter with him as Ladybug.

_That boy is a jerk on levels science has yet to discover, _Marinette growled to herself,_ I cannot believe that he's even remotely related to Adrien! Adrien is so gentle and compassionate at heart, but Félix has none of that. He's lucky that I pulled my punch as Ladybug, or his teeth would be in the Seine right now!_

That thought made her pause for a moment.

_Actually… it's a good thing that I _was_ Ladybug when he tried that,_ she pondered. _His trying to force a kiss on me like that… well, when I'm suited up, I can defend myself very easily. But what would I have done if I'd been MYSELF, with no powers?_

She made a fist, remembering the Tom Dupain School of Martial Arts that her father had taught her; "Uppercut or knee right where it counts," he'd shown her. "Then run."

_That's a good start_, reasoned Marinette. _But Félix can fight; he showed us that against the Akumas. I would have to catch him, or whoever else off guard to land that first blow. And with no powers, could I be sure that I could do that?_

THAT thought made her shudder.

She looked over at her calendar, and saw that her fourth guitar lesson with Luka was the next afternoon after school.

_It'd be nice to always have someone like Luka or Adrien with me to protect me,_ Marinette mused, _but that won't always be possible._

_I wonder…_

* * *

As the students left school for the day the following afternoon, Adrien stood outside the front door as usual, talking with his friends until his car arrived. A small voice from behind him drew his attention.

"Hey, um, Adrien? Could I talk to you for a second?" asked Marinette. "I had, uh, something that I wanted to ask you."

From over Adrien's shoulder, Marinette saw Alya's face light up. _MAKE YOUR MOVE!_ she mouthed, silently, to which Marinette replied with a smile and a very tiny head-shake '_no_.'

"Sure! Er, excuse us for a bit," Adrien told the group, and he stepped aside with Marinette for a moment of relative privacy. "What's up?" he asked her, pleasantly.

"This… okay, this may seem like an odd request, but you're the first person who came to mind. You told me once that you study some martial arts, right?" Marinette began.

"I do," Adrien said. "I'm a brown belt in Shotokan-ryu karate so far. I'm learning some Hao style t'ai chi ch'uan and aikido as well. They're more defensive techniques."

"Aikido, huh? I've heard of that," Marinette smiled. "That's one that's more about redirecting attackers than breaking them, right?"

"Yes, it is," confirmed Adrien. "It's intended primarily to deflect attacks and neutralize threats without hurting the attacker. Why do you ask?"

"Well," gulped Marinette, "I'm trying to make a point this winter of learning new things; rounding myself out, I guess you could say. Like, I think you saw on Instagram that Luka's teaching me to play the guitar?"

"Uh-huh," Adrien agreed. "How is that going?"

"Pretty well," said Marinette. "I've never been all that musical, so this is eye-opening for me, but Luka's going slow with me. He's really nice about it."

"I bet! I'd love to hear you play sometime," bubbled Adrien.

"Well… maybe after I practice some more," blushed Marinette. _A whole lot more_, she thought; _right now I can play two songs. One is Frere Jacques and the other isn't._

"Okay, so…" she continued. "I was thinking, every girl ought to know some self-defense techniques. How to get away from someone bigger than you, what to do in case someone grabs you or tries to force you into something…"

"Definitely!" agreed Adrien. "That's something that my teachers drill into me; my bodyguard won't always be by my side, so I'll want to know how to defend myself properly."

His mind whirled for a moment. _Maybe I could ask if she could join me during my weekly lessons?_ he thought. _I could introduce her to Sensei Kanemoto, and maybe he could recommend a good beginner's studio for her…_

"Would you be willing to teach me a few things?" Marinette asked, shyly.

"…Me?" asked Adrien, mildly startled. "I'm just a student myself."

"I know… but I've seen you use it a couple of times, like that day in the wax museum, and I can see that you know what you're doing. I don't need, like, a full course of training – not yet – I mean, I'd have to see if I liked it or not – but, well…"

She looked up at him, softly. "…You're someone that I trust," she concluded.

Adrien stared into two big blue eyes… and there wasn't any doubt about it. _I'm not sure that I could deny you anything when you look at me like that, Marinette,_ he smiled to himself.

* * *

"You're doing what now?" asked Tom, pausing his fork on the way to his mouth.

"Adrien's going to teach me some martial arts techniques," explained Marinette. "For self-defense purposes."

"Uh-huh," Tom replied.

"_Only _for self-defense purposes," reiterated Marinette, giving her father a very clear _No, I am not going to hunt down and break Lila Rossi_ look.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea at all," Sabine noted. "You are a growing girl, and it can be a strange world out there. Is he giving a demonstration for your class?"

"No… this was my idea, actually. I asked him," Marinette explained. "A… friend of mine got harassed by a boy recently. He tried to force a kiss on her, and she punched him right in the face."

"Good for her," grunted Tom, approvingly.

"So that'd be nice to know how to do," smiled Marinette. "Or, rather, to flip him over or crank his arm or disable him without needing a lot of brute strength."

"I took some classes in that kind of thing when I was younger," Sabine noted. "We small girls need all the advantages we can get."

"And you won't always have a bread paddle handy to wield," laughed Tom. "Though _that_, your mother can certainly teach you. Why did you approach Adrien in particular?"

"Well, he's learning several styles himself. Karate, some aikido, some kind of tai chi, he told me," Marinette said. "I know that he knows what he's doing, and that he'll be extra-gentle with me. Plus, this helps him reinforce his own lessons. He needs to know the basics very well in order to teach me some of them, right?"

"I can't argue with that," Tom agreed. "Are you paying or trading him anything in return?"

"We… hadn't talked about that," admitted Marinette. "Though he knows that I would always do him any favors I could, I'm sure! This isn't, like, joining the classes his father pays for him to take. Nothing formal or long-term. I just hoped that he could teach me some simple things, and he said he'd be happy to."

"That's fair enough. I just wanted to make sure you weren't signing a contract without asking us, or anything like that. In that case, I certainly approve," her father smiled.

"Likewise. Plus, it's a nice way to spend more time with your friend, isn't it?" twinkled Sabine, knowingly.

"It is," Marinette stammered, "though not necessarily for _that_ reason." She hoped she wasn't as red as she feared she was turning. "He's spending more time with Kagami these days, so I'm… trying to focus more on our friendship than on chasing after him."

"Which is certainly a good idea," Sabine noted. "And sometimes that's the best way to get close to someone after all."

* * *

Three days later, Alya walked alongside Marinette on their way out of school.

"Are you okay?" asked Alya. "You seem a little nervous today."

"Oh, no, I'm fine, absolutely, just fine," smiled Marinette, trying to bury what seemed obvious. The pair crossed through the main doors and greeted Nino and Adrien, who paused their conversation to return the greetings.

"So...," asked Alya after a few minutes of chatter. "Marinette, do you want to come over and hang out today? I think Rose and Juleka are coming over; we could pop in a movie or something."

"Actually," Adrien piped up, "she's coming home with me today. Aren't you, Marinette?"

"Yep! I am," breathed Marinette, keeping her voice steady.

"Are you now…?" wondered Alya, turning towards Marinette. "You didn't mention anything about that earlier!"

"I, um… I'd asked a favor of him. He's going to teach me a little bit of his aikido training," explained Marinette. "Self-defense stuff, in case anyone ever gets grabby with me."

"Like what you showed me that one time?" Nino asked Adrien.

"Nino got grabby with you, Adrien?" marveled Alya.

"No, no!" laughed Adrien. "Nino asked me about my karate lessons, so I showed him some basic strikes and stances to practice. Nothing too complicated. Marinette's looking for more defensive moves."

"Uh-huh," she agreed. "I hope that I never need to use it… but every girl ought to know a little, right?"

"Oh, I get it, I get it," Alya confirmed. "I just… didn't expect that." _I mean, for months you couldn't speak a full sentence around him. And you just asked him 'Can you take me to your house and get physical with me?'_ she exclaimed in her brain._ NOW you've got game?_

Down below, the Agreste sedan pulled up to the curb. The Gorilla stepped out of the driver's seat, opened the passenger door and stood by it, patiently.

"That's our cue," Adrien smiled. "Marinette, are you ready?"

"Ready as I get," she said.

The two walked down to the waiting car together, while Alya reconfigured her perspective on the world.

* * *

Inside the car, Nathalie turned with a steady stare; not unfriendly, necessary, but calculating. Marinette felt as if she was being inserted into a cell in next month's budget, formulated and recalculated.

"Ah," Nathalie began. "This must be the company you had spoken of. Hello, Marinette."

She extended a hand, which Marinette took lightly out of reflex. "Hello… Nathalie, right? We met briefly at the Agreste show at Fashion Week," Marinette replied.

"We did, yes," confirmed Nathalie. "But… you know my name? Were we properly introduced?"

"I am a friend of Adrien's," said Marinette, forcing a smile. "And he has spoken of you often. You have a very large role in his life, I'm told."

"Indeed," Nathalie agreed, with a rare smile of her own. "And thus we have something in common, it would seem."

Marinette's eyes went wide - _We do? He speaks of me often? I have a large role in his life?_ \- while Adrien shuffled nervously in his seat watching the two of them.

"I… feel bad that I've never invited you to my house before, Marinette," he ventured. "Father doesn't give me a lot of… well… _myself_ time."

"I understand, Adrien. I do," she assured him. "You have an awful lot of things on your plate."

"I am glad that you understand that, Marinette," Nathalie noted. "It is kind of Adrien to do you this favor; I hope that it goes well, and that you get what you need from it efficiently."

_As in, 'please do not make this a regular habit,'_ Marinette inferred. "I'll do my best. I'm sure that I'll have a very good teacher," she said.

"I hope so," Adrien replied.

* * *

As the group entered the mansion, Marinette followed Adrien's lead.

"C'mon! I'll show you around. My workout room is on this floor; my room's upstairs. Would you like to see it?" Adrien asked, brightly.

"I… sure, I'd like to," she replied. "I can only imagine."

"Do keep an eye on the clock, you two," called Nathalie as Adrien led Marinette to the staircase. "Adrien, your Chinese tutor will be here at four-thirty sharp."

"I know!" Adrien called back.

"Who in the world was that?" a voice intoned from behind Nathalie. "And where is my son taking her?"

"That would be Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Sir," Nathalie replied without turning. "One of your son's favorite classmates. Aspiring designer; her derby hat was your contest winner that we showcased at Fashion Week. Her parents run the boulangerie by Adrien's school, one of the most popular in Paris. She designed an album cover for a prominent rock star, she was the selection to play Ladybug opposite Adrien in Miss Nightingale's music video, and she had temporary custody of the Miraculous tome and returned it to your possession."

"Quite a resume for one so young," said Gabriel. "And she is here why?"

"Today, Adrien is giving her some private self-defense lessons as a personal favor."

"I see," Gabriel stated. "Not much gets past you, Nathalie."

"I am paid very well for it not to," Nathalie noted with confidence. "Not to mention that she is a rather frequent component of your son's supper-time conversations."

Tactfully, she left _Which you would know, if you happened to be there more often_ unspoken.

* * *

Marinette did her best to express surprise at the contents of Adrien's room, despite having been there before and even having fought his transformed father there as her alter ego.

"Very, very nice!" she oohed. "I thought that my room was spacious."

"It has its charms," Adrien conceded. "Usually, it has everything in it that I could ask for, except for one thing…"

He left that hanging in the air. Marinette thought for a second, then finished his sentence…

"...Friends."

Adrien's smile in return was a pure one. "You really _do_ know me well," he replied. "It's one thing to have, say…" He gestured around the room as he spoke. "Movies, board games, video games, basketball, foosball… but they're not nearly as much fun without people to watch them with or play them with."

"Uh-huh," sympathized Marinette. "I can imagine. When I was little, I played Monopoly a couple of times against one of my dolls when everyone else was busy."

"Did you win?" grinned Adrien.

"Usually. For some reason, she wasn't very good at strategy," she grinned back.

"Anyway… like Nathalie said, we've only got so much time," Adrien noted. "My bathroom is right over there, since I figured that you'd want to change?"

"Change?" Marinette stammered. "I, um… I had thought about bringing a bag with sweatpants or something, but I hadn't packed one for today…"

"Not what I had in mind," Adrien explained. "Go in and look."

Feeling curious, Marinette entered the bathroom and shut the door.

Adrien paced around the carpet, hearing slight rustling sounds from within his bathroom. _I hope I got this right,_ he fretted. _I think I did. But there was a lot of guesswork involved, and I hope that she doesn't think that I overstepped -_

The door swung open. Adrien turned… and a small "Wow" of appreciation escaped his lips.

Marinette stepped forward, a bit shyly, wearing a red aikidogi. A white belt was cinched around her narrow waist, her feet were bare, and her eyes watched Adrien's watching her.

"This is quite an outfit," she said, testing her limbs' movements in it. "I can tell that it's sturdy, well-stitched and solid, but it's also so soft that I think I could sleep in it."

"It fits you well? I had two different sizes hanging in there," worried Adrien. "That way, whichever one was closest…"

"Oh, I think that this one's a perfect fit!" marveled Marinette. "Almost like it was cut for a girl's figure."

"It was."

Marinette blinked. "You mean this wasn't one of yours?" she asked, looking surprised.

"No…" Adrien mumbled. "Like you said, a women's cut would suit you much better. I, um… took an educated guess as to your measurements; growing up in a house of fashion, that comes kind of naturally."

"Wait… you _bought_ this for me?" gasped Marinette. "Adrien… no! I wouldn't have asked you to… I can't accept this from you!"

"I promise you that it was within my budget," replied Adrien. "It's no big thing."

"It _is,_ Adrien," Marinette frowned. "I don't know what to say. And what about the other one in there?"

"That one I can return," Adrien said. "As long as this one is suitable."

"Oh…" Marinette stepped forward, a shy smile on her face. "It's _so_ suitable. And so unexpected! And thank you so much; you _really_ didn't have to do that for me."

The two of them stood across from each other… with brains and muscles fighting it out as to whether a hug was about to happen.

"I… heh. How about I'll go get changed and we'll go downstairs and get started?" Adrien asked, a little nervously. At her nod, he dashed into the bathroom.

* * *

Two minutes later, a white-clad Adrien stepped out.

"Not bad," Marinette admired. _More like 'Yum,' actually._ "I see what you mean about the difference in style… the lines fall a little differently in yours… and your sleeves are longer."

"This one is a karategi, not an aikidogi. That's my primary style," explained Adrien. "The differences are subtle, and there's room in each style for personal taste. I'd go into it in more detail, but I'd rather use our time here to teach, okay?"

"I'm all yours," smiled Marinette. "Let's go."

* * *

The teens padded downstairs, down two hallways and into a brightly lit room covered in dark blue mats.

"So this is where you take your lessons?" asked Marinette.

"It is. And where I'll be giving them," Adrien said.

"..._Them_?" wondered Marinette.

"You didn't think that I'd teach you everything in one day, did you?" grinned Adrien. "I hope that you'll want to come back."

"Oh! Oh, absolutely!" she bubbled. "I just… well, I didn't want to presume. And Nathalie sort of warned me about taking up too much of your time…"

"I can always make time for you, Marinette," beamed Adrien. "Never worry about that."

The two shared a happy silence for a moment before Adrien continued.

"Okay! I'm… a little nervous about this," he began. "Like I said, I'm still learning, and aikido isn't my strongest style. You might be better off with a real studio and a practiced teacher. I've never done this before, so…"

"Adrien… anything you can teach me will be wonderful. Just go with what you're comfortable with," she replied.

"All right. Then I'll start with what my Sensei told me at my first lesson… the most important thing to know is not how to practice martial arts, but _why_," said Adrien, a little confidence returning to his tone. "That its purpose is protection. It is a weapon that should be sheathed until it is needed; knowing how to use it makes you responsible for its usage. Somehow, I get the idea that you understand that… but it is always worth repeating."

"I agree," Marinette smiled, quietly. "That is why I am here."

"And the second principle is not how, but _when_ and _where_," Adrien continued. "Just because you have this training does not make using it the right thing to do. Many times, it will be better to avoid a confrontation entirely. Or to create an opening for yourself to escape, and do that, rather than to fully disable or to punish your opponent. The mind is the most important tool you have, not the fist or foot."

Marinette nodded, silently.

"Good. All right. Aikido, as I understand it, is focused on _awareness_. On the flow of who and what is around you. Knowing what is a threat and what is not. Understanding your environment, and how and where to redirect what is harmful. To resolve a bad situation calmly, smoothly, and with the least amount of damage caused to anyone."

"That is _exactly_ what I want to learn," confirmed Marinette.

"It suits your personality," smiled Adrien. "Now… there are some basic techniques that all students learn. I can show you these, but before I do that, there is something more important for you to learn; how to _fall_. This is an exchange of force; aggression from me that you will avoid and counter. You want to have control over your own body first and foremost… and that means understanding how to fall safely, how to roll with an impact, how to avoid injury and get your bearings back quickly."

"That makes a lot of sense," Marinette said. "So how do we do that?"

"First… relax with me. Let's center our _ki_. Meditate for a moment, if you will. Then I'll show you what I mean at slow speed and with minimal force, and we'll begin from there."

Adrien knelt down. Marinette followed his lead, tucking her legs beneath her, the tops of her feet against the cool mat. "My mother and I do something like this sometimes," she noted, closing her eyes and folding her hands in her lap.

"That's good. You may end up teaching me some things before we're done," Adrien smiled.

As he prepared to clear his thoughts, before he closed his eyes, one thought floated through his head:

_She could make a burlap sack look good… but, good lord, she is SO adorable like this today._

* * *

About forty-five minutes later, Nathalie poked her head through the door, doing so quietly.

She watched two figures, one in red and one in white, tossing each other to the ground. Clearly, they were trying hard not to hurt each other, and she heard Adrien comment on Marinette's technique and offer suggestions.

_Heh_, she thought. _I half expected to peek inside and find a makeout session in progress!_

"Adrien," she called, making both heads turn. "You are expected in about ten minutes."

"I see," Adrien called back. "Marinette, should we call it a day, then?"

"That sounds good." She extended a hand to help lift Adrien back to a standing position.

Once he got there, he instructed her, "Please, turn to me… like that… and bow with me."

Each performed a small bow of respect, after which Adrien broke out in a wide smile. "Marinette… I think you're going to be a natural at this," he told her.

"I don't know about that… but as clumsy as I am normally, just learning how to fall properly might do me a lot of good!" she giggled.

"I mean it. You have more natural talent than you think you do," judged Adrien. "Just like that day in the fencing club; your reflexes, your movements, your reactions are all surprisingly good. Or at least they seem to surprise you!"

"You're sweet, Adrien. But I think I know better," smiled Marinette.

"I'm serious," he emphasized, looking into her eyes. "If there's one thing I know about you, it's that if you put your mind to something… there's _nothing_ in this world that you can't do."

Inside, Marinette melted… but she kept her response subdued. _There was one thing I couldn't ever do,_ she told herself, _which was to tell you how I felt._

"Shall we go up and change?" she asked, instead. "So we don't keep your tutor waiting?"

"Yeah. Let's go!" The two of them darted past Nathalie and out towards the stairs.

* * *

Marinette flew out of the bathroom in her everyday outfit, carrying her neatly-folded aikidogi in her hands. "Your turn," she smiled, allowing Adrien to take her place and change his clothes. "Where would you like me to put this?" she called through the closed door.

"That's up to you," a muffled voice replied. "It's yours."

"I… don't know about that," replied Marinette. "It was very kind of you to buy it for this, but… like I said, I don't know that I want to let you do that."

"I _promise_, it wasn't that expensive!" Adrien called back.

"By your standards or mine?" argued Marinette.

The door opened, and a hastily-dressed Adrien burst out of the bathroom. "It's… how about this? You can keep it here or take it with you…"

"...Your collar!" called Marinette, pointing to one side of his shirt collar that was popped up.

Adrien stopped, peeked into a mirror, and corrected it with a thumbs-up and a big grin in Marinette's direction. "Thank you! Anyway… either way, you're the only one who's going to wear it," he concluded. "I strongly suspect it wouldn't fit me properly."

"...You!" grumbled Marinette good-naturedly, sensing defeat. "All right. Can I leave it here with you, then?"

She laid it down gently on Adrien's piano bench, and joined him as he raced downstairs.

* * *

At the front door, Nathalie stood dutifully, noting the time on her tablet. "One minute," she declared as the pair came within hearing range. "Cutting things close."

"But on time," Adrien grinned. He and Marinette came to a stop in front of Nathalie, slightly out of breath.

"So. Adrien's bodyguard will drive you home, Marinette. Are you suitably armed to face our dangerous world now?" asked Nathalie.

"Adrien was very kind, and taught me some important basics, yes," replied Marinette. "I'm very grateful to him."

"But…," Adrien interjected, "we are definitely far from done with what I'd like to teach her. What do you say, Marinette… same time, next week?"

"I… would like that very much," said Marinette, cautiously. "If it's okay." She caught a glimpse of _Oh, REALLY?_ in Nathalie's expression and went quiet, trying to thread the needle between being eager to accept and not wanting to get Adrien in trouble.

"It is _definitely_ okay," Adrien assured her. "I'll see you tomorrow at school?"

"Tick-tock," chided Nathalie.

"I'll see you then," Marinette replied. "Thank you so much, again!" she called, as the Gorilla nodded to her and swept past her. _If I would like a ride home,_ she reasoned, _it's leaving now._

* * *

On the way home, Marinette sat in the back seat, not sure if or how to address her pseudosimian chauffeur.

"Th-hank you for driving me home, Sir," she ventured about a kilometer after they'd left. "I appreciate it."

The Gorilla glared at her in the rear-view mirror… then gave a small nod and a grunt. Marinette thought she sensed a hint of a smile, but it was very hard to tell.

"You drive Adrien wherever he needs to go, right? Like, to and from school every day," she continued. "You must know him pretty well."

Another grunt, another nod.

"I'm glad that he has someone like you to keep an eye on him," said Marinette. "It's a strange world out there these days, and Adrien is… important to me."

That got another glance from the Gorilla… and a slightly wider smile. As the car stopped at a red light, he pointed to her, then tapped his temple with a finger.

"You… know that?" asked Marinette, interpreting his gesture.

The Gorilla made a brief _I'm watching_ gesture, then turned his attention back to the road.

"I see," she said, letting that sink in.

Moments later, the car pulled up to the curb in front of Marinette's home. She watched as the Gorilla hopped out immediately and opened her door. After she stepped out, she had a quick argument with herself inside her head…

"I… need to ask one more question, Sir," Marinette said. "On the way over, Nathalie… suggested that Adrien talks about me quite a bit… I don't mean to pry, but when you're alone with him… does he?"

A meaty hand reached out and landed on her shoulder, surprisingly gently. She looked up at the Gorilla, uncertainty in her eyes.

As usual, the big man said nothing… but the look in his eyes and the smile on his face might've been the most genuine and comforting thing she'd ever seen.

Overwhelmed, Marinette remained still as the Gorilla returned to the car. "...See you next week?" she called, as the car slowly pulled away.

* * *

In the early evening, Adrien returned to his room, tired but happy. Chinese lessons, supper and preparations for a weekend photoshoot were all now checked off of his list, and while piano and homework still awaited him, he had a warm feeling inside, that of a very good day overall.

He stretched his arms out and rubbed his back absently - he had spent a fair amount of time being thrown to the ground repeatedly today, however controlled his falls had been - and considered his options. _Piano first,_ he decided. _Maybe a half an hour of that, enough to make some progress on mastering that middle portion of…_

A splash of red on the piano bench wiped away his other thoughts.

_Oh! That's right._

Adrien studied it for a moment… then walked to his closet and fetched a clothes hanger. Laying the pants over it and then layering the gi jacket over it, he approached his closet with it… then stopped.

Blue eyes and a warm smile floated through his mind for a moment.

He stepped over to a shelf by his computer desk, which had a small hook attached to it, and hung it up gently there.

_I don't know what's gotten into me…_ he smiled, _but for some reason I don't want that out of sight right now._

Satisfied, he trod back over to the piano, settling in for a short battle with the works of Chopin.

* * *

Next time:

* More falling for each other.

* A quick fashion question.

* Getting a little grabby.

* The Kwamis pipe up.

* And more!


	2. Chapter 2

Throw Me Around Like One of Your French Girls, Chapter 2

* * *

_THWUMP!_

Tom stared up at the ceiling of his living room for the third time that night. "That was a hard one," he noted.

Sabine gave him a knowing smile. "I checked on her, okay? I _promise_ you that she has every pillow in her room laid out on her floor. I talked her out of pulling down her mattress, because she'd have a heck of a time getting it back up there. She's practicing falling safely, and trying very hard not to crack her head open."

"Heh. I thought falling was one of her many talents already," chuckled Tom. "She really is taking this seriously, hmmm?"

"She is. And good for her," Sabine said. "She's doing this because she wants to, not just to get within touching distance of Adrien. It seems like that, anyway."

"Not a bad side effect, though." He settled back in his chair, making himself relax again. "I just worry about her, you know? Marinette vested an awful lot of time and energy in trying to win that boy's heart. He was the first one who turned her head like that, I think?"

"From what she's told me... yes," agreed Sabine. "First crushes are _so_ hard. Especially when they don't crush back."

Tom pondered that for a moment. "Which I have to say... surprises me a little bit. We don't know him very well, but every time I've seen him near her, his eyes have had that spark in them. He lights up almost as much as she does. I thought that it would be inevitable."

"Oh, you remember how difficult that age was," Sabine countered. "She-"

_THWUMP_!

"She could barely even _speak_ to him for the longest time," continued Sabine, undaunted. "She'd get so worked up that her words twisted in her mouth. I'm positive that he thinks the world of her, but they just haven't... communicated well. Maybe now that some of the pressure's off..."

"So he is dating that other girl now? The fencer?" asked Tom.

Sabine gave that a moment of thought. "I'm... not sure. Marinette talks with me about things, but she doesn't always tell me _everything," _she replied. "And you know how young romances can be; they might last three years or three hours. The last I had heard, Marinette said that Adrien and that girl were getting very close... close enough that Marinette was backing off."

"Hmmm. I do hope that things stabilize. They seem like they were made for each other," Tom said. "Whether as friends or something else."

"They are terribly cute together, aren't they?" Sabine smiled. "But time will-"

_THWUMP_!

"...tell."

* * *

Upstairs, Tikki took in the spectacle with considerable amusement.

"I have to admire your dedication to this," she told Marinette, watching her young host pick herself off her bedroom floor. "As long as your friends don't see lots of bruises and suspect that someone beat you up."

"This is... not as painful as it looks," breathed Marinette. "Trust me. I'm landing how I should, I'm... getting the hang of what Adrien showed me... I'm more out of... breath than anything else."

"Then take a breath, already! Rest for a few minutes," suggested Tikki. "This is a marathon, not a sprint."

"I know," smiled Marinette as she plopped down into a chair. "But Adrien's taking this very seriously... so I want to be just as serious about it. And if I don't practice, I won't be ready for next week's lesson."

"Fair enough. Just pace yourself." Tikki floated in and landed on the desk beside Marinette. "And be careful! Those pillows aren't as flat and uniform as the mats were. You don't want to land funny and twist an ankle or sprain your wrist, or something like that."

"That's a good point. I wonder what even a small set of mats like that would cost?" wondered Marinette. She called up a couple of sites on her computer, scouting out inventory and pricing, and flinched visibly. "Enough," she declared, looking disappointed. "I can't afford that right now."

"Well, look at it this way; you know where there's a fully equipped dojo when you need it," advised Tikki. "And Adrien seems to be very happy that you want to join him there. Plus, once you start learning throws and grabs and such, they'll be hard to practice while you're alone in your room, anyway."

"Also true. I can't exactly Lucky Charm myself a sparring partner. And you're kind of too tiny to grapple." As Marinette rested, her normal color returned to her face. "That's one thing about sports; the equipment can add up fast sometimes! You don't think of martial arts as something that would need much... just an outfit and your body in it... you don't even need shoes! But if you're going to do things right... there's that entrance fee."

She sighed, then added, "And I still can't believe that Adrien bought that uniform for me! That was so nice of him, but that was _far_ beyond anything I would've asked about."

"It was, wasn't it?" Tikki agreed. "Though I wasn't that surprised. For him, that wasn't such a dent in his wallet..."

"It was _enough_, Tikki," insisted Marinette. "Look at these!" Her fingers flashed over the keyboard as she called up some examples of women's gis for sale. "There are affordable ones out there... it depends on the make and the quality... but that wasn't some cheap one that he got for me. I could tell from looking at it that it was a nice one, and look at some of these prices!"

"You know him, though. He didn't do it to impress you; he did it because he was sure you'd need it, and he could do something about it, and that's the kind of boy he is," soothed Tikki. "He may have wealth, but he's never one to flaunt it. He's almost more apologetic that he has it!"

"Yeah..." mused Marinette. "Like when we were talking in his room, about how he'd rather have friends than things around him. He really isn't materialistic." She went silent for several seconds, then looked back at Tikki with sad eyes. "And even though I've... _all of us_ at school have been trying so hard... even with Kagami, too, and I know how much she's reaching out to him... he's _still_ isolated. He's still lonely. And I don't know what to do about that."

"Marinette..." Tikki interjected, gently. "I do think that Adrien was touched that you reached out to him the way you did, asking for his help and his time. Look how enthusiastic he's been about having you over! You really could be one of those close friends that he needs so much... if that's what you want to be for him."

"I do," Marinette declared. "I really do. I... oh, you know that's not all I _want to be_ for him... but if it's what I need to be, I want to be the very best friend I can for him."

"I like the sound of that," smiled Tikki.

* * *

The next morning, Adrien prepared for school. Freshly out of the shower, he sat at his computer desk in a towel, checking the day's weather.

"Good morning, Sensei," said a jovial voice behind him.

"Hardly," Adrien grinned, without turning around. "_My_ Sensei would have me doing pushups for weeks if he heard me calling myself that."

"It fits, doesn't it?" Plagg argued. "You're teaching a pretty girl the ways of kung fu."

"I... okay, I can't argue the pretty girl part," Adrien mumbled. "But I'm not a real _teacher_. I'm just passing on some basics, because she asked me to."

"I have to say, Nathalie's eyes went _big_ when you informed her that 'there will be several more lessons,' said Plagg. "She didn't fight it..."

"...But she's not used to my pushing back about my schedule," agreed Adrien. "This was important, though."

He turned away from the monitor to look at Plagg. "I was... well... really surprised that Marinette came to me like that, asking for that favor. We're friends, of course, but she's always seemed kind of... nervous around me, for some reason? Like something about me makes her unsure of herself. So when she asked me, and she explained herself and told me 'You're someone that I trust,' I..."

Adrien paused, with an odd expression on his face. "It felt _wonderful_. This is someone who, from the first day I met her, I felt like... this is someone I want to _matter_ to. Someone special. And we got off on the wrong foot and I've felt like I've been trying to make up for that ever since, a little bit. We've gotten to be friends... but you know me. Sometimes I still wonder even if I probably shouldn't."

Plagg stared at him. "C'mon, now. You know that she likes you very much. She's shown that in a hundred different ways," he declared. _More like she's crazy about you, and she'd drink your bathwater and snuggle your bedsheets if she could, _he grinned to himself. _Open your eyes, already!_

"This is something important, though. 'Teach me how to defend myself and be safe,' that's not a little thing!" boggled Adrien. "So for her to come to me and say that I'm who she trusts to teach her some of that... it just feels like a breakthrough, you know? A comfort level that I'd hoped she'd reach for a very long time. All the more reason that I need to get this right."

"You know what I think?" asked Plagg. "You're doing fine. You always have been. She likes you, she trusts you, she wants to come back and do it again. Enjoy that. You don't get to have friends over very often, so just roll with this and do your best."

Adrien looked up at the red aikidogi he'd hung up next to the computer desk, and smiled. "I plan to."

* * *

As Adrien walked into the classroom the next morning, he looked up at what he expected to be a momentarily empty seat behind his. Marinette's knack for last-second arrivals was well-known...

But, instead, she was already there. Instead of glancing down at him with a smile and then refocusing herself on setting up her belongings, as she often did, her eyes were aimed right on him.

"H-hi!" Marinette bubbled. "Good morning, Adrien."

"Good morning to you," Adrien replied. "How are you?"

"Good," she answered. "I... just wanted to say thank you again for having me over and teaching me. I enjoyed it so much. And I was practicing some of the things you taught me last night!"

"Really?" he marveled. "I mean, that's great! The falling techniques, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah," grinned Marinette. "I set up some pillows and... well, obviously I don't have a room like yours, so I did the best I could with what I had. But I do think that I'm getting the hang of it."

"That's great," Adrien replied. "In fact... if you ever want to come over and use my workout room, we don't have to be just once a week. Our practice sessions, I mean." An undertone of some nervousness seemed to enter his voice. "If you'd want to."

"I..." Marinette sensed the number of nearby ears tuning into their conversation increasing steadily, but she continued. "I would like that... but I don't want to impose," she replied, cautiously. "I know how busy they keep you, and Nathalie kind of gave me the eye when you said that I'd be coming back..."

"Let me negotiate that," Adrien assured her. "I mean, I know that you're busy, too... and I might not always be able to give you a lot of notice..."

A couple of their classmates looked over at Alya questioningly, as if wondering _Is Adrien asking Marinette out, right here and now? And is SHE playing hard-to-get?_

Alya just shrugged, with an _I have no idea what is happening here_ look on her face.

"I'm sure that I can make time... but don't cause trouble on my account, okay?" smiled Marinette. "Also..." she continued, with added confidence. "I am _not_ letting you do all of this for nothing at all. _Especially_ since I looked up last night how much formal lessons and that aikidogi you bought can cost!"

"I... uh... wish you hadn't done that," admitted Adrien, a bit sheepishly. "But that was a gift, with no expectations at all. And I'm... I'm just happy that I can help you, okay? I really enjoyed your company yesterday."

Marinette glanced around the room, seeing that Ms. Bustier was preparing to start the day's lessons. Mylène and Alix looked a bit startled. In the back of the room, Rose gave her a huge smile and nudged her head slightly in Adrien's direction, as if urging _Go for it!_

"I did, too. But we'll talk about this later, okay?" she told Adrien. "Wait for me after class... I have something that I want to give you."

"I'll bet she does," said a low voice from Alix's direction, drawing a muffled "Shush!" from Mylène.

With that, their teacher rose from her desk and attention went back to the front of the class.

* * *

As the students dispersed for lunch, Adrien left first, then stood quietly in the hallway, waiting for Marinette. Her other classmates did their best impressions of cars passing a road incident; trying to feign disinterest, but _dying_ to sneak a better look at what was happening.

"You've got this?" Alya whispered as she and Marinette approached the classroom door, a small brown bag in Marinette's hands. "No pep talk, no backup?"

"No, I'm fine," Marinette assured her. "This is no big thing."

"Okay, then. Go get him," grinned Alya.

"I'm not..." began Marinette, then broke into giggles. "I'm not _collecting_ him right now, but thank you."

She stepped out into the hallway and saw Adrien's smile widen, causing a little thrill to run through her. "Hey," she said, watching Alya depart and give them some space.

"Hi there," said Adrien. "I... um... I really did mean what I said in there. I'm not expecting anything in return for any of this."

"Which is all the more reason that you should have something," Marinette replied. "Now, this is just the _smallest_ little something..."

She handed him the bag. He opened it and peeked inside, and his eyes lit up.

"...And I have no intentions of paying you back in _pastries_ all the time," smiled Marinette. "If I start fattening you up, I really _will_ become a menace in your father's eyes."

"I'll take that chance," mumbled Adrien, forcing his eyes away from his unexpected dessert and back onto Marinette's.

"So... I'm serious. What I asked you to do for me was a bigger deal than I'd realized, and I never want to feel like I'm taking advantage of a _friend,"_ she continued.

"You're not... taking..."

"...Even if he swears that I'm not," giggled Marinette, her eyes lowering for a moment. "So think about it for me, okay? If there are any favors that I can do for _you_, whatever they are... or anything that I can teach _you? _ You let me know."

_Is there a day that I _don't_ learn something, just by watching you__?_ wondered Adrien, but held that thought to himself. _Don't make this awkward._

In his mind, he pictured himself leaning in for a hug, then reconsidered. _This is a little silly,_ he considered. _Just yesterday, we were in each other's arms more intimately than that, tossing each other around. Why am I so nervous about a hug? _

_...Because we don't normally do that? _Adrien reasoned. _Even after yesterday, I don't know how she would react. Is that particular ice broken? Do I want to break it?_

_Do something, you idiot, she's waiting for you to respond!_

"I will. I promise," he said, with a soft smile. Coming to a decision, he reached out and took one of her hands in his, giving it a light squeeze. "And thank _you_ for this; you really didn't have to bring me anything. I can't wait to show it off!"

"My pleasure," smiled Marinette.

* * *

As she watched Adrien recede down the hallway, glimpsing back at her occasionally as he walked, Marinette stood motionless... and spent about a minute forcing her toes to uncurl inside her shoes.

_Ohhhhhhh,_ she groaned internally. _I think I felt that in my TEETH._

_Now, come on,_ she lectured herself. _He was wrapped up with you yesterday, and you didn't freak out then. Why was that little touch so different?_

_...He wasn't _looking at me_ like that on the mats._

_Wow... was I imagining some of that reaction?_

Her head spinning, she retreated to her locker to drop off some books before heading to the cafeteria.

* * *

As Marinette expected, her Girl Squad was on her the moment that she sat down at their table, their eager faces lighting up with questions. She couldn't suppress her grin.

"Oh my _gosh! _You look like the cat that ate the canary!" crowed Mylène. "What happened yesterday?"

"Seriously!" Alya agreed. "All of a sudden, you're cool and confident and Adrien seems happy-nervous! What flipped the script?"

"And what was that that _you_ gave_ him?" _cooed Rose.

"_That_... was one of these,_" _smiled Marinette. "My dad had made up a batch of them, so I added a little icing on top, and..."

She reached into her bag and produced a pair of brioche suisse pastries. "Brioche dough, vanilla pastry cream filling with chocolate chips," she explained. On top of each was a small styled "M," very similar to the one stitched onto the side of her purse. She did mental math - two pastries, five friends - and sat them in the middle of the table. "Split these up between you!" she whispered. "I think you'll like them."

Hands reached out like lightning and broke them into pieces, which were quickly devoured. "That is _heavenly_," declared Mylène. "And you gave Adrien one of those?"

"Uh-huh," grinned Marinette. "I hope he likes it."

"See for yourself," gestured a smiling Juleka. She pointed over to where Adrien was sitting, where Marinette could see that he had pastry cream on his upper lip and a look on his face as if he'd just undergone a religious epiphany.

After a moment, he turned in Marinette's direction and saw that she was looking his way. Quickly, he pointed to it, then sat it down and bowed repeatedly in a silent "I'm not worthy" gesture.

"You're welcome," Marinette mouthed back, giving him a little wave before turning back to the girls.

"Now, _what happened?_" demanded Alix. "C'mon, please tell us!"

"It went like this..."

* * *

Five sets of wide eyes faced Marinette as she finished her story. "So that is where I'm at," she concluded. "Adrien wants me to come back for more lessons, which is so sweet of him. His bodyguard likes me. And have you _seen_ his bodyguard? I didn't think he liked _anything_ that wasn't Adrien! And I cannot _believe_ that he bought me that gi."

"I can," Alya insisted. "For one thing, he handles money the right way; he doesn't act like it defines him. Not like _someone_ we know," she said, leaving the obvious attribution unspoken. "And we know that he thinks so much of you."

"Still!" protested Marinette, looking at four girls with nodding heads, all agreeing with Alya. "I thought it might be, like, an hour, and he'd show me a couple of moves... and now it's becoming a _thing_. And it's a thing I _like, _don't get me wrong at all!"

"Yeah... you get to spend private time with Adrien, get grabby with each other, and tumble to comfortable mats in each other's arms. Sounds to me like you're getting a good deal," grinned Alix.

"I am _trying_ to get that kind of thought out of my head,_" _blushed Marinette. "He's got Kagami now."

"...Does he?" asked Rose. "They're serious now?"

"I... wish I knew? I can't imagine that they're not," countered Marinette. "I saw them kiss. We all saw them eating Andre's ice cream together."

"We saw _you_ getting ice cream with Adrien that day. Then you two separated," Juleka pointed out. "You sat with my brother. Are you two an item now?"

"That's... not the point," evaded Marinette. "I had all year to try to tell Adrien how I felt. I never managed it. But Kagami did." Her face fell somewhat. "So they deserve a chance to figure that out... if they're right for each other... and I need to move on." She managed a smile for Juleka's sake. "And _maaaaaybe _your brother might be part of that... but I'm going very slow with that, too. Maybe I don't need to be dating anyone right now."

"Nothing wrong with that," Alix agreed. _"You_ need to be happy first and foremost."

"And maybe I didn't _know _Adrien as well as I thought I did. I think that was part of the problem," continued Marinette. "So maybe I won't be his girlfriend. But I'll still want to be close to him."

"That's beautiful. I really like that," smiled Rose. "And I think it's the right approach."

"Or... I think you could have him with one more brioche," Juleka chuckled, watching Adrien's face from afar, still entranced by his gift.

* * *

A couple of days passed in relative tranquility. On Sunday afternoon, a text message on Marinette's phone made her jump:

**[Adrien] Hi there! Are you busy?**

"Uh-oh. It's _that_ ringtone," Sabine grinned as Marinette made a face and rushed out of the room with her phone.

**[Marinette] I'm not. What's up?**

**[Adrien] It just so happens that one of my photoshoots got canceled today, and I'm done with my lessons...**

**[Adrien] So I have a couple of hours to kill. Would you feel up for another aikido lesson?**

**[Marinette] Are you sure? I mean, you rarely get "down time..."**

**[Adrien] All the more reason to share it.**

**[Marinette] Well...**

**[Marinette] I could if you really want to...**

**[Adrien] Do I really want some company? Of course I do.**

Marinette broke out into a wide smile, reading that.

"Hey, Mom?" she called over her shoulder. "Would it be possible for a boy to throw me around a padded room for a while this afternoon?"

"I don't know," her mother replied. "Any particular boy? I can see if we have one downstairs."

"Oh, I have one in mind," giggled Marinette as she wrote back.

**[Adrien] When would you be available? It doesn't have to be right this minute, if you were doing something.**

**[Marinette] Oh, I can be ready whenever.**

**[Adrien] Shall I send my driver?**

**[Marinette] I can ride my bike over, it's a nice day...**

**[Adrien] It's a COLD day. I'm sending my driver. I'll be getting ready!**

**[Marinette] Thank you, then. I'll be downstairs waiting!**

* * *

"So he's coming to pick you up?" asked Sabine, standing with Marinette by the bakery's front door.

"His driver is. I don't know if Adrien will be with him or not," Marinette replied. "I'm kind of hoping Nathalie isn't along for the ride. She's... kind of nice when she wants to be... but something about her just puts me off. Like she's always judging everything around her, including me. Including _Adrien."_

"Is she Adrien's stepmother?" Sabine wondered.

"N-no," Marinette said immediately. "She's Gabriel Agreste's main assistant. Adrien's mother is... well, it's complicated. There was some kind of accident during a trip, and she... disappeared? I'm really not sure. Adrien talks about her sometimes, but he hasn't shared all the details with me."

"Oh, my!" gasped Sabine. "That poor boy!"

"Yeah. I wish there was something... anything I could do, but of course there isn't," moped Marinette. "So it's just him, his father, Nathalie and the bodyguard-slash-driver most of the time. The bodyguard, you can't miss... he makes _Dad_ look small."

"Now, that's hard to believe..." Sabine smiled, drawing an "I heard that!" from Tom behind the counter.

A sleek sedan pulled up the curb. "There he is," Marinette noted. "And..."

The driver's door opened, and the Gorilla stepped out.

"_Well!" _marveled Sabine. "I stand corrected."

* * *

A smiling Adrien met Marinette downstairs in the garage as the sedan pulled in, already dressed for the occasion. "Hello!" he greeted her. "I'm so glad that you could come today."

"I'm very happy to... but, Adrien, this garage floor must be like _ice_ today! And you're barefoot!" worried Marinette.

The Gorilla, standing by Marinette's side, frowned in obvious disapproval.

"I, uh, didn't want to waste any time," Adrien replied, feeling a little embarrassed. _Not that I'm excited about this, or anything like that... though it PROBABLY would've left a better impression if I'd rode along to pick her up!_

"I see," Marinette smiled, watching him hop back and forth from one foot to the other. "You _have_ looked more comfortable than you are right now."

"Then let's get inside, then!" laughed Adrien.

Marinette turned to the Gorilla and said, "Thank you again, Sir," to which he smiled and bowed slightly. He watched as she took off running with Adrien.

* * *

"Thank you for inviting me," said Marinette as they climbed the stairs. "My outfit's up here again?"

"Yes, it's in my room. There is a small locker room downstairs near the dojo, but it's kind of stark and not terribly private... I thought that you might be more comfortable changing here," Adrien said. "I know I am."

"That's nice of you," she smiled, right before her face fell slightly. "Oh! I just thought of something... I, uh, did work up a half-decent sweat in our last workout..."

"Not to worry," grinned Adrien. "It's been laundered. If you want to take it home with you this time, it's machine-washable."

"Whew! Otherwise I don't know if you'd _want_ to grab me," Marinette giggled as she took it into the bathroom.

_I'm not sure that I have much doubt of that, _Adrien smiled to himself.

Two minutes later, she was out again and dressed for combat. Adrien looked her over with approval, then laughed, "Hey! Your nails match!"

With a shy smile, Marinette showed off her fingernails and toenails, all of which had indeed been painted a matching red. "Well, I can be formidable _and_ fashionable, right?" she purred.

"Absolutely."

"One thing that I was wondering... yours is white, and almost all of them I've ever seen have been white. Why is mine red?" she wondered. "Does that signify a beginner's rank, maybe?"

"No... beginners are usually in white, too," Adrien noted. "I just... well, pink is most definitely your color, right? So I wanted something close to that. And when I looked at what colors were available, I mentally pictured you in them, and red... just seemed to suit you best."

"I see," grinned Marinette. "So he _does_ know his fashion."

"In this family, I'd better, right?" he laughed. "Shall we?"

"Yes, Sensei."

"I'm... oh, please don't call me that," Adrien pleaded as they left, hearing muffled laughter from further back in his room.

* * *

Next time:

* Uke, Tori. Tori, Uke.

* How many elephants fit in one room?

* Pain don't hurt. Or do it?

* "Do you mind if I watch?"

* A better goodbye than hello.

And more!


	3. Chapter 3

Throw Me Around Like One of Your French Girls, Chapter 3

* * *

Adrien walked out slowly towards the center of the workout room, with Marinette by his side. They padded over to where they had begun the previous session and knelt, facing each other.

"All right, you remember how this goes, right? Clear your thoughts with me. Relax your body. Ease your spirit," directed Adrien, in a light tone.

"Will do," smiled Marinette, as she closed her eyes and folded her hands in her lap.

* * *

Adrien did his best to follow his own instructions, emptying himself of all outside influences... but what was welling up from inside him was more than enough of a distraction.

_What has gotten into me lately?_ wondered Adrien, his eyes refusing his brain's orders to close. _This is my classmate, my good friend. Someone who's told me she's not interested in me as a boyfriend. Someone who's finally gotten past whatever it was standing in between us... and NOW she's the funny, teasing, confident Marinette I see all the time with her other friends. The Marinette I see when I visit as Chat Noir. And that is WONDERFUL!_

_I have wanted to be closer with Marinette for so long... to be the friend that I've wanted to be for her... and now it's finally happening._

_I... kind of have a girlfriend, almost? Kagami and I are still figuring things out... we're not completely there yet... but we're closer to that than I've ever been with anyone. Close enough that I shouldn't even be THINKING about another girl._

_She kind of has a boyfriend?_

_I think?_

_I haven't asked her about Luka recently... but I see them on Instagram together, I hear her talk about him in school sometimes... I've seen how he looks at her. I know what he said to her the day that he got Akumatized. _

_He's got it figured out. He's just... himself. No games. No facade. No pressure. He just says how he feels, he's completely honest, and he leaves it at that. And if she's not ready, or she doesn't want that, or if it's not right... he deals with it. He just floats on, like driftwood on a wave._

_Man, I wish I had any idea how to do that. I've heard Ladybug say 'No' again and again... and I want to respect that. I really do. And then she looks at me, and in one smile I'm lost again._

_That's all I need, right? Two hopeless chases. Falling for another girl who has someone else in mind, who doesn't think of me that way, who just wants to be a close friend. _

_When I have someone already who's interested, who's halfway there with me. My father certainly approves of Kagami; he's done enough nudging the two of us together. Maybe I should listen to him._

_And to her._

_But... _

As he watched, Marinette's eyes flickered open. Watching him, she smiled warmly, curiosity in her gaze.

_Marinette, whatever this is between us right now... whatever is blossoming... I don't know what it is yet,_ he thought._ Maybe it is just a closer friendship than we've ever had. And that would be something that I'd treasure._

_But this is something new._

_And I can't get you out of my mind unless I know what it is._

* * *

Kneeling silently on the mat, Marinette's mind drifted.

_I can hardly believe my eyes at how happy Adrien is, _she marveled. _Maybe it's just that he's got company at all; from what he's said, his father barely even lets NINO come over. And those two are tight! I don't know what's different about me that they're okay with that... or that Adrien insisted on it..._

_He kind of did, didn't he? He really wants to make sure that these lessons happen, that I get to keep visiting._

_I guess he felt like this was something important to me... and he wanted to see it through properly. That sounds like him. He's always been caring that way._

_I mean... that's the moment I fell for him in the first place, isn't it? He thought he'd hurt me, and he needed so badly to fix it, no matter what. To do what he could to make things right. He gave me that sweet look and my whole world crashed._

_Easy, girl,_ she told herself. _He has Kagami now. You're not here to win his heart; you're here to be his friend. What he needs most of all._

She felt her hand throb a little, where Adrien had squeezed it two days before.

_As if it'll be easy for me to put that aside for good,_ she admitted. _He still has me in the palm of his hand, and doesn't know it._

_But it is getting... a little better, isn't it? _she reasoned. _It's so much easier to talk with him now that I'm not overthinking every sentence. I'm loving it._

_You're on the right path. Look how happy Adrien is that you're here! That means that you're finally getting things right._

_So stay on it. Do what you're doing. Keep the pressure off. Don't chase him; let him lead you through this._

_And if you do that..._

She opened her eyes, hearing some slight movement across from her.

_Oh..._

Marinette wasn't entirely sure of what the look in Adrien's eyes meant at that moment... but she was completely incapable of looking away.

* * *

Adrien saw Marinette focus on him, with a look of wonder on her face.

"Adrien?" she asked, just above a whisper.

"Yes?"

"You're staring at me," she smiled, bashfully.

"I... I'm sorry," he stammered. "I wasn't..."

"You don't have to apologize, Adrien," said Marinette. "It's okay. I was just trying to figure out why you were."

"Me, too," Adrien admitted. "I think... well, we've been friends for a long time now, right?"

"Absolutely," Marinette assured him. "From day one. Okay, day two; we got off to a rough start thanks to you-know-who."

"Yeah," Adrien managed a small laugh. "But she's the last person I want to talk about today."

"So what's on your mind?" asked Marinette, innocently.

"I'm just... I was just thinking about you and I, how recently things between us have been so..." Adrien trailed off.

"...Easy?"

"Yes! That's a great word for it," gushed Adrien with a big smile. "Maybe it was just in my head, but for a long time, there was... something I could never put my finger on. Some tension in between us. And I feel like we're finally past whatever it was, and I couldn't be happier about that."

"I am, too," Marinette replied, her heart pounding. "I've wanted that for a long time."

A few heartbeats passed in silence, eyes locked onto each other.

"So much for clearing our minds, huh?" giggled Marinette, making both of them laugh. When Adrien stopped, his expression was one that Marinette couldn't quite place. It was like there was something he wanted to say, but he was fighting to get the words out...

"Marinette... do you think that... you could fall for me?" Adrien asked her.

"Oh!" Marinette exclaimed, brightly. "Sure! Like I'd told you, I've been practicing." She sprang to her feet and assumed a defensive stance from their previous lesson. "Controlled falls, like we did before?" she asked him.

Adrien gaped in surprise... then rose to his own feet with a grin. _Not what I meant from that question__,_ he chuckled, _but I can't believe that I asked it out loud_. _So let's go with this interpretation for both our sakes!_

* * *

After some brief back-and-forth falling as a warmup, Adrien settled into the lesson that he had planned.

"All right," he began. "Now, you'll notice that we've been taking turns as the aggressor, even with these simple falling exercises. That's intentional, because part of aikido is trading those roles, learning how to perform both of them."

"That makes sense," Marinette noted. "I'll understand how to defend against an attack better if I know how the attack functions."

"Exactly," smiled Adrien. "The person who's attacking is called the _uke_. The defender is the _tori_. The uke's goal is to remain balanced and to take down the tori; to remain calm and in control. The tori's goal is to unbalance the uke and redirect their force away; to adapt to what the uke is doing and blend with it to disrupt it and control it. It's a battle of wills and minds as much as bodies, so you switch back and forth to understand both sides of it."

"I see."

"You might think of martial arts and picture something like Street Fighter or Ultimate Mecha Strike, two people facing off and doing moves freestyle, whatever they think will make them win. This training isn't like that; at least not yet," Adrien explained. "For a long time, we do set poses, set attacks - _katas_, they're called - to familiarize you with the basic positions and how to counter them."

"Repetition. Wax on, wax off," ventured Marinette, getting a grin.

"You've seen that movie," chuckled Adrien. "But, yes, you've got it. There are some basic motions that we'll work on together... but first, I want to show you one of the fundamental techniques to demonstrate what I'm talking about. I want you to reach out in front of you and grab my arm, okay?"

"Okay..." Marinette said, looking slightly nervous.

"I am _not_ going to do anything to you without telling you first, or without doing it in slow motion, one step at a time. When I'm the tori, one of my priorities is to keep _both_ of us from being injured. There are moves that can be painful if you do them right, but this isn't normally one of them unless you want it to be," assured Adrien.

"I trust you, believe me," smiled Marinette. Dutifully, she reached out with her right arm and grabbed Adrien's right forearm.

"Perfect. Now, you've got an aggressive position on me; you've got my arm and you're coming at me in a straight line, like this," said Adrien, demonstrating with his free hand. "What I don't want to do is challenge you along that line of motion, strength against strength. I want to come around like this..."

Gently, he lifted both of his arms up, carrying Marinette's arm with him in a sideways motion, turning her body slightly. He stepped forward and pressed against Marinette's elbow, turning her body further away from him even while she still grasped his arm. After a pause, he continued his motion, his hand sliding from her elbow to her shoulder, pivoting with her as he lowered her to the mat, face-down.

"Wow!" gasped Marinette. "If that had been at full speed, I'd have gone from 'gotcha!' to faceplanted in a flash."

"Uh-huh!" Adrien let go and helped Marinette roll over, then back onto her feet. "That's first technique, _ikkyo_. You see how I used your motion against you, turning you _with_ the direction you were moving instead of blocking it? That's how aikido works. But it means that as the defender, you need to keep your wits about you; to stay calm so that you can recognize what I'm doing and redirect it smoothly, instead of panicking. And repetition and practice are to make that response natural and effortless, instead of having to think about it and losing your window to act."

"That makes perfect sense," agreed Marinette.

"Now, let me show you that again, same speed... and then I'll have you try it on me, slowly, okay?"

* * *

For the next half-hour, Marinette and Adrien went back and forth, practicing basic motions on each other.

At one point, Adrien noted, "This is pretty harmless, the way that we're practicing it... but can I show you something?"

"Sure," said Marinette.

He maneuvered her through the first technique once more. Once he had her in a prone position, he said, "Now, if I turn you like _this_ from here... Tell me the _instant_ that you feel any pain, okay? _Immediately._ And not until you tell me that you're ready."

"I'm ready," replied Marinette. She felt her arm twist slightly, and immediately yelped, "There! Just a little twinge."

She felt the pressure on her arm drop instantly, relieving the minor pain. "And _that_ is why we do this in slow motion," Adrien explained, kneeling beside her as she rolled onto her back. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am," she said. "You eased up as soon as I called out, so I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all now."

"I wanted to show you how easily some of these techniques _can_ become painful. It's all about how much force you put into it, how far you turn, how flexible the recipient is. We're all a little different," Adrien replied. "So if we're going to be partners in this, we need to trust each other completely. We'll be learning each other's limits... and going past them sometimes, without meaning to. So when that happens, we need to let each other know."

"That's part of any relationship, isn't it?" replied Marinette. "But I see what you mean."

"If I ever hurt you... I don't know what I would do," Adrien said.

"I know that you'd never do it on purpose," she smiled. She sat up, face to face with Adrien... and felt like she was in no hurry to leave that position.

* * *

The tender moment was disrupted slightly by the door opening, which made both of them turn.

"Hello there," Nathalie said, stepping into the room. She slipped her heels off, so as not to puncture the mats with them. "I heard that we had some company today."

"Yes, we do," Adrien answered her. "I had some free time, so I invited Marinette over for another lesson."

"Hello, Nathalie," Marinette called, rising to her feet. "I hope I'm not disrupting anything..."

"No, no, not at all," Nathalie replied. "Adrien has nothing scheduled for... oh... another forty-seven minutes."

"Okay..." said Adrien. "So... what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering... do you mind if I watch today?"

Both Marinette and Adrien stared at Nathalie, looking startled.

"...I don't mind... do you, Adrien?" said Marinette, meekly.

"I don't, either... but, um... why do you want to?" wondered Adrien.

"Oh, a couple of things," replied Nathalie, bringing a folding chair over to the far wall. "I'm curious. I do some training myself one night a week, so I'm always interested in picking up new techniques," she said. "And it's nice to see that the lessons your father pays for are bearing fruit."

"You had any doubt of that?" boggled Adrien.

"No, not at all! But watching you teach what you've learned is interesting to me. And maybe I can get to know Marinette a little better, as well," Nathalie added, with a thin smile.

"...All right, I certainly won't stop you. You're sure that you're okay with an audience, Marinette?" asked Adrien, turning back to her.

"As long as she doesn't laugh when I fall flat on my backside," Marinette allowed.

"That will not be a problem, I assure you," said Nathalie. "I was a beginner once, too. Please, continue."

_Well, that's a sudden bucket of cold water over the mood,_ grumbled Adrien to himself, but he turned his thoughts back to the lesson at hand.

* * *

True to her word, Nathalie refrained from laughter. There weren't a lot of mistakes to giggle at, anyway; both Marinette and Adrien became a bit more mechanical and precise in their movements while under supervision, and Nathalie spent part of her time with her head buried in her ever-present tablet.

"Adrien... sorry to interrupt... have you decided which outfit you will be wearing to dinner at the Tsurugis' Tuesday night?" inquired Nathalie, during a break in the action.

"I... haven't yet," Adrien replied, giving Nathalie a clear _...You bring this up now?_ expression momentarily.

"Dinner at Kagami's, and you're dressing up?" asked Marinette, without visible concern.

"It's not... formal-formal," Adrien stammered. "Technically, her mother invited my father, and naturally the rest of us are along for the ride."

"Oh, it sounds nice," said Marinette, feeling eyes on her but trying to ignore them. "The three of us haven't gotten together lately... how are the two of you doing?"

"We're..."

Adrien struggled with his response, watching Marinette carefully for a reaction... but she seemed nothing but pleasantly curious.

"...Well, we're doing fine. I saw her a couple of times this week... we went skating once. Roller skating, this time; that's something she'd never done before," he explained. "I'm kind of glad that the place was empty, because we both went flying more than a few times."

"I can imagine. I tried that once, and I ended up wanting to rent a helmet and padded pants," giggled Marinette. "I'll have to text her tonight, I've been putting that off."

"Oh, the two of you are friends on your own as well?" Nathalie piped up. "You and Kagami?"

"Yes, we are," answered Marinette. "We were thrown together on Friendship Day, and we got a chance to get to know each other much better. We've kept in touch since, on and off; she's very nice."

"Hmmm! Good for you," said Nathalie. "Interesting."

"Is it?" wondered Marinette.

"Nothing, nothing," shrugged Nathalie. "One moment, please," she added, returning to her tablet.

Marinette turned back to Adrien, who apologized with his eyes but said nothing else about it. "Okay, um," he stammered, "May I show you the collar grab?"

"S-sure," Marinette replied, refocusing on the lesson.

* * *

Nathalie asked a couple of other questions for Marinette while she watched them practice, minor things about their schoolwork and about her parents, and then grabbed at her beeping phone two minutes later. She listened, then hung it up with a sigh.

"Duty calls, as always," Nathalie grumbled. "Enjoy your lessons, you two. You have... ah... nineteen minutes left, Adrien?"

"I know, I know," Adrien replied, wearily. "We'll be wrapping up soon."

As the door closed behind Nathalie a moment later, Adrien flopped down onto the mat in a seated position. "I apologize for that," he mumbled.

"It's fine," Marinette said, sitting down herself and facing him. "What was that all about, though?"

"I... guess that they're curious about you?" suggested Adrien. "I mean, who wouldn't be? Your reputation precedes you."

"Stop," laughed Marinette. "I'm nobody important."

"I couldn't disagree more," Adrien replied. "And... they just might have heard your name once or twice before."

At Marinette's raised eyebrow, he amended that to "...Or maybe more than that."

"Mostly good things, I hope," she smiled.

"Absolutely!" Adrien emphasized. "C'mon... let's break a little early."

"You're sure?" Marinette asked, with a small head-tilt.

"Yeah. We covered a lot today. That way we can change without being in a big hurry..." he suggested.

_...And we can talk a little more,_ he thought.

* * *

Up in Adrien's room, Marinette gestured towards the bathroom. "You can change first, if you want," she told him. "You have more of a time thing going on than I do."

"Are you sure? We're not in a rush... but it doesn't really matter. I'll go first," Adrien volunteered, and stepped inside.

Marinette padded around his room, briefly... close enough to hear him if he spoke. _So this is where the magic happens,_ she giggled to herself. _Because that boy is still magical to me._

She glanced over at his bed - _No. No. No, I will NOT go over and sprawl out on his pillows! The mother of all embarrassing moments if he opens that door,_ she ordered herself - and admired his game collection on a shelf near his television. _A couple of systems that I don't recognize,_ she noted, _probably older ones. That one there, I have, and that one._

A door opened quietly behind her. "Up for a challenge?" asked Adrien, seeing what she'd been peeking at.

"Do we have time today?" wondered Marinette. "I thought Nathalie said we were running short."

Adrien rolled his eyes as she turned to face him. "Just once, I'd like to just blow off one of these scheduled things. Or show up an hour late because I had a better way to spend my time." At Marinette's expression, he insisted, "And 'with you' certainly qualifies."

"Perhaps not if we want to _keep_ doing it," Marinette chided him, but her blush told him that his compliment landed squarely. "My turn," she told him, entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

Adrien, being a bit more familiar with the layout of his own room and not needing to explore it, remained close. "Any of those game systems jump out at you? I know better than to take you on in Ultimate Mecha Strike 3," he asked.

Her voice muffled by the door and echoing around the spacious bathroom, Marinette said, "Oh, you could try. You wouldn't win... but you could try! I wasn't sure about a couple of them."

Adrien swore that he heard the sound of her gi jacket hitting the floor, and moved back a couple of steps by reflex despite the door remaining closed. "Yeah, one's older than I am," he confirmed. "I don't play it all that often, but there are some classics for it."

"My father has an old one at our house. A _really_ old Nintendo. We pull it out once in a while," echoed Marinette's voice. "The graphics are really primitive, but he loves it, and some of the games are a lot of fun."

"_Well,_" Adrien grinned with some excitement, "one of those systems you didn't recognize was because it was a custom job, a mini-computer someone put together for me that runs emulators. Not only does it play those old systems, it plays arcade games as well."

The door opened. Marinette stepped out with her aikidogi folded up under one arm and her shoes in the other. "Seriously?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. "And it hooks up to a TV?"

"Uh-huh! Bluetooth controllers work with all of them. If you'd ever want to try it out, I could bring it over... if you'd like me to visit."

The grin on her face ran through Adrien like an adrenaline rush. "Do you think I'd ever _not_ want you to visit?" laughed Marinette. "Though I'll warn you; if you bring that over and my dad sees it, he may try to adopt you."

"A risk worth taking," Adrien smiled. He walked over to the nearby couch and sat down, then patted the cushion next to him as an invitation.

* * *

An elfin impulse struck Marinette. Adrien watched as she dashed in his direction, light footfalls pounding out a brief rhythm, then took a small leap and landed on the cushion next to him.

"Whoa!" Adrien gasped, caught by surprise.

Marinette's laughter was contagious. "I... just felt like doing that. I don't know why," she giggled, as she assumed a more normal sitting pose.

_Why? You're in Adrien's room with him, and he's delighted to have you there, and he's making up reasons for the two of you to see each other more often! _she told herself. _To have quiet time together! For him to come and visit YOU! __It's a wonder that you didn't sprout wings and fly onto the couch!_

"I really enjoy seeing you this happy," Adrien told her.

"The feeling is mutual," said Marinette, her hands going into her lap, her feet crossing, a little nervousness proving impossible to shake in the situation.

"Is Luka a gamer?" asked Adrien, rather suddenly.

The question surprised Marinette, but she rolled with it. "Not really, at least that I know of?" she answered. "He's so focused on his music, I'm not sure that he's ever gotten into that kind of thing. Not that that's bad," she added.

"How's he doing? I haven't talked to him in a while," ventured Adrien. _And my fishing expedition is _on__, he thought, kicking himself for his lack of subtlety.

"Pretty good. He's been a little busy lately helping his mother out, so I haven't seen him much myself," replied Marinette. "He's still giving me guitar lessons, of course, and I think I might see if he's free some night this week, for a walk or something."

_So they're not hot-and-heavy,_ noted Adrien. _Not yet, anyway._

"Hmmm. That's good," he said.

Marinette gave him a look as if she was waiting for another question that didn't get spoken. "How about Kagami? Does she ever come over for something like that, a gaming night?" she asked, finally.

"No... but that might not be a bad idea sometime," he replied, as if that thought had never occurred to him. "Usually, we're kind of more... brought together by our parents than spontaneous."

"I'll have to ask her if she's ever gotten into gaming. I bet we can find something that the three of us could play online together, without having to travel," suggested Marinette. "Maybe a multiplayer online RPG or something like that where we could all team up. We could see if some of our other friends are interested, too."

Adrien marveled at his companion, to the point where she noticed him staring again. "What?" she smiled, feeling curious.

"I was just thinking about what I said earlier. How natural this feels, just like this, and how glad I am that it is," Adrien replied, choosing his words carefully and leaning just a hair in her direction. "Kind of like it had been meant to be all along, and we just hadn't figured that out."

"Yeah," said Marinette, feeling alert... as if electricity was building up in the air around them. "I can't say what was... I mean, I don't know what it was that was in the way. But it's good that we got past it." She leaned in slightly as well, unconsciously. "I meant what I said. You would always be a welcome guest; I know how hard it is for you to find the time, though."

"It's never because you're not important to me. Believe that," he replied.

A little shiver ran through Marinette's body. "Though that _doesn't_ mean that you can just... spoil me with things like this," she insisted, indicating the red aikidogi. "I think... I will take it home this time, to show my parents, if that's okay? But I am going to find some way of paying you back."

"Just having you here is enough."

Adrien was pretty sure that Marinette was turning as red as her aikidogi. "You can be the sweetest person I know sometimes, Adrien..." escaped her lips.

Another shiver hit her... and this time it was because she felt a little cold. Realizing that, and also that their time together must be running short by now, she reached down and slipped her shoes back onto her feet. "It's chilly in here," she noted. "Do you have the thermostat turned down, or... oh! Adrien, one of your windows is a little bit open."

"Y-yeah, it is," he agreed, suddenly nervous. "I, uh... usually keep that one open just a little."

"Why is that? asked Marinette. "It's pretty cold out today, isn't it? I'd never hear the end of it from my dad, 'I'm not paying to heat the whole outdoors...'"

Her eyes widened as she watched Adrien turn _beet _red. "Do I even want to know?" she asked, her attention grabbed, sensing that she was missing something big.

"I... kind of always had a hope in the back of my head that..." Adrien trailed off, then shook his head. "No. It's silly."

"What is?" asked Marinette, watching him attentively. "I promise that I won't laugh. Partners trust each other completely, right?"

Adrien sat very still, silent and feeling helpless...

* * *

The bedroom door opening distracted them. "Three minutes," called a familiar voice.

"I knooooow!" Adrien called back to Nathalie, then turned to Marinette with a smile. "Maybe another time, okay?"

"Sure," she replied. "Let's get down there before they send out a search party."

* * *

At the front door, Marinette faced Adrien with a huge smile. "I had a wonderful time today, and I think that I learned quite a bit," she told him.

"You're a natural, I told you," beamed Adrien. "Nathalie, don't you think she did very well?"

"I think that she's doing _exceptionally_ well for herself, I agree. Making quite a bit of progress," noted Nathalie, dryly.

Her faint unease around Nathalie returned, but Marinette continued, undaunted. "I'll see you at school, and we'll do this again later in the week, if your schedule allows it?" she asked.

"I will make sure that it does," Adrien replied. "Count on that."

"Your ride is down in the garage now," Nathalie interjected. "Shall I walk you down there, Marinette?"

"That's okay, I will," Adrien jumped in, and with that the two of them were in motion.

"But your piano practice...!" protested Nathalie.

"The piano will be there, I'll be right back!" hollered Adrien just as they turned the corner.

"_Hrumph_," grunted Nathalie, taking mental notes.

* * *

In the garage, Marinette laid her aikidogi down carefully on the back seat of the sedan, then climbed back out and turned to Adrien once more. "I don't want to hold you up... I saw the look on her face up there... but thank you again, Adrien. Today was just what I needed."

"Me, too. I'll be thinking about you," smiled Adrien. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Marinette replied.

Adrien looked over her shoulder at the Gorilla, who was studying the two of them with a wry grin on his face. He reached his arms out in front of him, as if hugging someone invisible.

Mimicking the gesture, Adrien's arms reached out without his conscious mind's permission... and he was rewarded by a pretty young woman in his arms, hugging him tightly.

She held on for a couple of seconds, then broke it with a startled-but-happy look on her face - _I kind of can't believe I just did that!_ running through her mind - and climbed into the sedan.

As he waved to Marinette as they pulled away, Adrien's mind spun like a pinwheel.

_I hope they're not expecting much from my piano practice today,_ he thought. _Because my legs won't move, all of a sudden... so I don't have much hope for my fingers._

* * *

Next time:

* Checking in with the boss.

* "Do we need an extra plate?"

* Trying to maintain harmony.

* "I'm just gonna say it..."

* "This has real possibilities, doesn't it?"

And more!


	4. Chapter 4

Throw Me Around Like One of Your French Girls, Chapter 4

* * *

As the sedan pulled away from the Agreste mansion, Marinette closed her eyes briefly and let her afternoon of grappling, grinning, Adrien giving her _those eyes_, couch-sharing, talking things out, _seriously Adrien was giving me THOSE EYES, he totally was, what do I DO?_, information-fishing and _that HUG! _sink in for her.

It was a lot to take in at once.

_Oh... MY,_ her brain gasped. _That was so much fun today... and educational... and trust-building... and what is HAPPENING all of a sudden?_

_Adrien and I have gotten closer this year... but he's never looked at me quite like THAT before. At least not that I've noticed and how could I NOT have noticed that if he had?_ she panted. _I caught him staring and smiling a COUPLE of times, as if he couldn't stop watching me! Then he got all sentimental about our friendship... twice... and THAT felt really good... and he wants to get together with me more often! At my house, too!_

She replayed their moments on Adrien's couch in her mind...

_I am not the most experienced at this... as in __ZERO..._

..._But THAT was not just friendship on that couch. Not all of it. I almost... I almost thought that he was going to kiss me!_

_And then the way he reached out as I was leaving, asking for a hug... holding me tight..._

Marinette shook her head, trying to make sense of things. The motion caught the Gorilla's attention for a moment; his turning in her direction caught hers.

"I'm... fine, I'm sorry," she told him. "I didn't mean to distract you. I just have some things that I'm trying to figure out."

He gave her a questioning look, briefly, then turned his eyes back onto the road... which, judging from the lines of cars in front of them and the flashing lights beyond those, suddenly looked far less promising to him.

* * *

Adrien returned to the main floor of the mansion quickly. On the way to the stairs, Nathalie fell in step with him.

"You're not going to give me a hard time about seeing Marinette out, are you?" asked Adrien as they reached the first step, looking a little concerned. "I will get my full piano practice time in, I promise."

"No, I am not going to," Nathalie replied, calmly. "That was gentlemanly of you... especially with a young lady whom you are working quite hard to impress."

That made Adrien pause for a very brief moment, but he recovered quickly. "Marinette is important to me, yes," he agreed. "The way that we're connecting now... I have wanted that for a very long time. I've never known anyone like her."

"She does seem charming; I'll grant that," said Nathalie. "Someone who might be of interest to your father, as well. An aspiring designer whose work you've already worn on stage, a pleasant personality, already having his son's full approval. What do you think, Adrien?"

Adrien gave her an unsure look. "It... might be a little soon for that? I'm... thrilled that she and I are getting closer, but she's not my girlfriend yet. I - why are you grinning at me like that?" he asked.

"You said 'yet.'" Nathalie pointed out.

"I did, didn't I?" a wide-eyed Adrien replied.

Nathalie suppressed a laugh. _It's obvious that he's had feelings for this girl for a while, _she smiled. _And I can see many reasons why! But I don't think that he'd realized how deep they run until very recently... and it's startling him._

_And maybe her, too._

* * *

"Ooooh," sighed Marinette. "That doesn't look good up there."

The Gorilla's frustrated grunt indicated agreement. From what the two of them could see, a collision between a truck and a bus had left the latter overturned and the former's cargo all over the road. Marinette thought that she caught a glimpse of Lieutenant Roger running around trying to restore a semblance of order, which tended to have the opposite effect in her experience.

Looking behind the sedan, things weren't much more promising. Cars were blocking the sedan in on all sides, and it looked to her as if there'd been a couple of fender-benders behind them as well, caused by cars stopping unexpectedly. Their own car was apart from the mayhem, but boxed in completely.

"I don't think that we're going anywhere for a while," mused Marinette. _I wish that I could help... but how would I get away from the car and transform without blowing my secret identity? _she pondered. _And even if I could, __I'm not sure what I could do anyway. Lucky Charm would need to call up something pretty creative to clear this mess._

_For that matter, I'm close enough to home that I could walk from here... honestly, I could have just walked home, period! But he's being nice driving me instead, so I'll keep him company for a little while. I wouldn't want him to get in trouble if they ask him "Did you drop her off at her house?" and his answer is "Well, um, I tried but she bailed on me..."_

_Plus, since he knows a fair amount about Adrien's thinking - and apparently about how Adrien thinks about ME... maybe I can pick his brain a little? _

Appearing resigned to his fate, the Gorilla put the car in Park and shut off the engine. He gestured to the radio, as if asking Marinette if she'd like to hear anything in particular.

"No, thank you," she replied. "Um... What is your name, Sir? I feel like I'm being rude if I'm just saying, oh, 'Hey, you.'"

He smiled at her request, then reached down into a compartment in the center console. When his hand emerged, it held a small gorilla action figure.

"Haha!" laughed Marinette. "I mean... I know that some people _call_ you that, but surely that's not your actual name?"

He shook his head, negatively. In the air, he drew a large letter G with a finger, then looked at her expectantly.

"G?" wondered Marinette. "Your name begins with G? Or maybe I can call you Mr. G?"

The Gorilla smiled broadly at that. He pointed to each of them, then made a lip-zipping gesture with his fingers.

"But keep that name between us? Like a private nickname? I can do that," smiled Marinette. "Hmmm. May I ask... I don't mean to pry, but I've often wondered... are you _able_ to speak? I've never heard you say a word," she inquired, a bit timidly.

Again, he shook his head, signalling "no." He made a gesture, stretching his hands apart as if extending something, then mimed opening a book and reading from it.

"It's a... long story?" guessed Marinette, to which he gave her a thumbs-up and a grin. "I see," she smiled briefly. "I'm sorry about that. You are a smart man, obviously, and you have your own ways of communicating, but that has to be hard on you sometimes."

The Gorilla gave her a small nod, then a shrug.

"And I know that _you_ always have Adrien's best interest in mind," she continued.

That drew a firmer nod.

"Since we're kind of stuck here together... and in your own way, you gave me a little advice the last time you drove me home... would it be all right if I talked out what's on my mind right now, just to see if I'm on the right track?" she asked him. "And to find out if you think that... um... that _I_ might be in Adrien's best interest?"

He looked ahead once more, and saw no signs of any movement in the near future. With that, he turned in Marinette's direction and smiled pleasantly, his elbow on the center console and his chin resting on a meaty palm. _I'm all ears_ was the interpretation Marinette drew from that.

"Thank you, Mr. G," she began, nervously...

* * *

Nathalie accompanied Adrien into his room, watching his reactions carefully.

"What are you going to tell my father about Marinette?" Adrien asked her. "I would imagine that that could make or break a lot of things going forward."

"I'm not sure yet," Nathalie replied. "Much of that depends on you."

Adrien sat down on his piano bench, facing her. "What is that supposed to mean?" he worried.

"Adrien," she sighed, "what I am _not_ here to do is to tell you whom you are and aren't allowed to care for, or that someone is completely off-limits. I... know a little about that kind of thing, and I wouldn't like it any more than you would."

"Uh-huh..." Adrien replied, wondering if she was implying what he thought that she might be.

"However... I _am_ in charge of managing your everyday affairs and keeping you on your father's desired track for you. And you are correct; I could sink Miss Dupain-Cheng in your father's eyes with one unfavorable report." She gave him a meaningful look and added, "And right now... I am not inclined to do that."

"But that could change," said Adrien, levelly.

"Your father wants what is best for you," Nathalie argued. "And whether you believe that or not... your own wishes do count towards that. Marinette is intelligent, she is attractive, she is respectful, and she possesses a vibrant and creative mind. The connection between you two is obvious. Would she be your father's first choice for you, if the choice was his alone? Likely not. But not only does your opinion matter on such things... you are fourteen, Adrien. It is not as if you are choosing a marriage partner yet. You have some time and room to grow and learn."

She gave him a small smile. "And judging from your own reaction just now... that is a good thing, as you are still figuring out how _you_ feel, much less anyone else."

Adrien couldn't disagree with that. "Marinette and I are... a little bit complicated," he admitted. "I'm... I'm not sure that I'd ever thought of her that way until recently, partly because I didn't believe that she would be interested in that."

Nathalie stared back. _Are you kidding? _she thought. _That girl's longing for you is so strong, it shows up on satellite imagery._

Reading her disbelief, Adrien continued, "We had talked about it... I had suspected that there might be something there on a couple of occasions. But she always told me 'No, I'm just into fashion' or 'No, I was simply play-acting.'" He sat and thought for a moment. "I don't know whether she's changed her mind at all about that, or... no, I just can't imagine that she wasn't sincere before! Marinette's the most honest person I know," he added. "But whatever was awkward between us seems to have gone away now. And now I can't stop thinking about her."

"Then let me say this as delicately as I can," replied Nathalie. "By all means, explore that. Find out how she truly feels. But also remember that Kagami retains a significant presence in your life... and that you will ignore that at your own peril."

* * *

"I suppose that it's not a secret to you that I have had feelings for Adrien for as long as I've known him, if you've been watching us," blushed Marinette. "You've seen us going to and from school, at Fashion Week, and when we were, um, running from you in the subway that one time... I apologize for that last one, by the way. I was _so_ following Adrien's lead that day."

The Gorilla gave a polite _Yes, I know _nod_._

"I've never told him how I feel. Not directly," she admitted, which got a questioning look back. "I... don't know why not. I've tried a couple of times; I sent him a romantic Valentine, I wrote it in a letter, there was a phone message... two phone messages... the lucky bracelet that I gave him... the scarf that I knitted him for his birthday."

That last part visibly startled the Gorilla. He mimed tying a scarf around his neck, then pointed to a drink label in his cupholder that was about the right shade of baby blue, then gestured towards Marinette with a surprised expression on his face.

"You know the one," smiled Marinette. "Yes, I made that. Somehow it got confused as being from his father, and, well... I let him believe that for their relationship's sake. He and his father weren't getting along well, and... he needed that more."

The Gorilla let out a low whistle of admiration, then motioned for her to continue.

"I don't know... I guess that I was so terrified that Adrien would say 'no.' Maybe I was terrified that he'd say _yes_," she replied, sheepishly. "But as far as I know... he doesn't know how I feel. I even hid it from him a couple of times when he asked me directly, because I was scared and dumb about it. I didn't start this whole please-teach-me-martial-arts thing to win his heart; I did it as a friend... especially since he's with Kagami now. You know Kagami, right?"

He assumed a stern facial expression and mimed holding a fencing saber, making Marinette giggle.

"That's her," she grinned, then returned to a more subdued mood. "The thing is... I know that they're together. I've seen them. Kagami wasn't scared to tell him what she wanted; she gave me my chances to act first, and I didn't take them. And it would be so wrong of me to try to break that up... _so_ wrong! Especially since she's become a friend of mine, too. I mean, I wouldn't do that to an _enemy, _you know? But hurting a friend is that much worse."

Her face grew a little distant. "And that's if I'm reading these signals from Adrien right, that he _is _suddenly interested in me that way. That the way he's been reacting to me lately, so much more intensely, is... that I'm not just seeing what I want to see. Part of me still can't believe that. Maybe this is just a closer friendship, and this is how he does that... And that's something that I've really wanted, too. I know that his friends are very important to him."

"So I have no idea what to do," moped Marinette. "If I should find the courage and just ask him how he thinks of me... or if that might screw things up between him and me and Kagami... or if things are going so well right now that I should just leave it alone and enjoy this closeness. I just want _him_ to be happy."

She looked up at the Gorilla's sympathetic face. "Glad you asked, huh, Mr. G?" she smiled, apologetically.

* * *

"What are you saying now?" asked Adrien, looking alarmed. "That I'm _expected_ to date Kagami instead?"

"Adrien..." said Nathalie, quietly. "Just listen to me, please."

He closed his mouth and sat attentively.

"For one thing, you are _already_ somewhat involved with Miss Tsurugi, are you not? Or was my seeing the two of you kissing and cuddling some trick of the light?" she asked him. "I know that answer; you don't have to say it. And, yes, I get that you and Marinette started blossoming _after_ that had happened... but it doesn't change that the _first_ things happened. I know you better than to think that you would trample on someone else's feelings lightly... to start-and-stop and to simply replace someone who has done nothing wrong. You're not that kind of person."

"You're right about that," Adrien agreed, glumly. "Kagami has been on my mind quite a bit this week, and I don't know what to do about her."

"The second thing is that your father does have ongoing business negotiations with Kagami's mother. Negotiations that are delicate and quite important to him," Nathalie continued. "That does _not _mean that your dating Kagami is a line-item on a contract somewhere, you understand? But it does mean that if something indelicate happens and Kagami is left with a broken heart... that could impact those negotiations significantly. And _that_ will infuriate your father and poison the well for whomever he views as responsible. Do you see what I am getting at there?"

"I do," said Adrien. "There are... politics involved in this as well as feelings."

"Well put," said Nathalie. "And you are smart enough to work that into your decision-making. And the third thing is this... I can see that you're smitten by Marinette; a blind man could see that. I can see that she is extraordinarily fond of you, as well. But are you certain that _she_ is romantically interested? You just noted that she's denied that in the past."

Adrien's face went glassy-eyed as he pondered that.

_Maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part. Maybe my imagination is running away with me. She HAS told me before that she's not into me that way._

_But I KNOW what I've seen lately! I just... I just have to be right! Those soft eyes of hers in the hallway at school... the way that she looked at me three, four times today during our practice session... _

_Upstairs, on my couch! When I said what I said and she gave me that sweet look back, I leaned in a little, hoping for a kiss... _

_...And she leaned in, too. At least at first. _

"Look... let me figure that part out, okay?" he stammered. "I, uh, have reasons to believe... why, did she say something to you?"

"No, she did not. When would she have? I haven't been alone with her today." _Jumpy, aren't you?_ Nathalie thought. "I just want to give you... a little bit of advice, okay?"

"What is it?"

"Tread lightly," Nathalie told him. "You're being pulled in a couple of directions right now. Be sure before you attempt anything drastic."

She looked into his eyes, which definitely contained some questions.

"Adrien... I'm not your mother, or anything close to that, obviously. But I was a teenage girl once, and I know how fragile that age can be," she noted. "It wasn't _that_ long ago, either," she added with a small smile. "But _these_ days, my job is to keep the peace around here. That means keeping you from breaking hearts, theirs _or_ yours. And it means keeping your father content, first and foremost... so help me do that. Keep me in the loop with this... and make smart choices, all right?"

"I... I'll do my best," said Adrien.

"See that you do," directed Nathalie. "As I said, I can paint Marinette as an angel in disguise for your father... or bury her. I don't really want to do either one; I would rather let her fight her own battles. Especially since she's got such an expert instructor teaching her how, right?"

Adrien blinked. _Was that a joke? I think that's... maybe the fifth one I've heard from her the whole time I've known her._

"I can see vast potential in Marinette, and I don't mean just in aikido," concluded Nathalie. "I'd like to keep her in the mix long-term... and I'm sure that you would, too. So work with me, and I'll see about keeping her in your father's good graces."

With that, she strode off. "Piano time," he heard her say just before the door closed, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

* * *

The Gorilla pondered Marinette's tale of woe for a moment. He glanced through the windshield for a moment, and saw progress starting to be made on clearing the road to at least let one lane through... but slowly enough to allow him time to respond properly.

He placed his hand over the passenger seat, as if patting the head of an invisible person Adrien's size. He made an 'A' with his fingers, then gestured to Marinette, questioningly.

"That space... represents Adrien?" Marinette asked, and got a nod back. "I get you."

He pointed from Marinette to 'Adrien,' then placed his hand over his heart and made a rhythmic thumping motion.

"Uh-huh. He gets mine pounding like nobody else," confirmed Marinette, turning a bit pink.

He then pointed from 'Adrien' to Marinette... and repeated the same gesture, except that it started a little slower... but gradually became harder and faster.

"You think he's... that what he's feeling for me is getting _stronger?_" gasped Marinette. When he nodded, she sat back in her seat in wonderment and shock. "So I'm _not_ dreaming?" she marveled aloud.

_Oh, my gosh,_ her brain screamed at her. _This has real potential, doesn't it?_

The Gorilla waved a finger to get her attention back. He performed his fencer miming again, indicating Kagami... and repeated the heart-pounding gesture in each direction. Over 'Adrien's' head, he made a whirling motion with his hand.

"So... what Adrien feels for Kagami is also strong... and he's very confused right now," inferred Marinette. "That also makes sense."

He pointed to Marinette... then let his fingers walk very lightly over the center console like a pair of legs, barely touching it, as if tip-toeing.

"Okay... that one, I'm not sure of," admitted Marinette.

Frowning, the Gorilla continued by pretending that he was carrying something delicate in his hands, taking exaggerated care of it.

"Do you mean... go forward slowly, and be very careful?" she asked him, which drew a big grin from him. He followed that up by pointing from Marinette to 'Adrien' and from Marinette to 'Kagami'... and making a talking gesture with his hand. He held one hand up and put the other out flat, as if being sworn into an American courtroom.

"And talk to both of them, and tell the truth," Marinette smiled. "I think that's very good advice. Though, Kagami I can talk to... with Adrien, I'm still learning how sometimes. I get so nervous whenever I even think about him that way, and my brain just short-circuits!" she confessed. "Even now, like... um... we kind of had a tender moment up in his room today, and I thought that... we might be about to break through... but I chickened out a little instead of kissing him. I got cold feet... literally _and_ figuratively."

The metaphor that she'd just used reminded her of something. "Say... can I ask you something else?" she ventured. "Adrien keeps a bedroom window open, even when it's very cold out like today is. I asked him about it, and he got all embarrassed for some reason. Do you know why he does that?"

The look she got back was clearly a nervous one.

* * *

"I'm just gonna say it," said a small voice from behind Adrien once Nathalie was safely away. "I was not expecting that."

"Which part of it?" mumbled Adrien. "I'm still processing."

"The part where Nathalie acknowledged that your feelings are real and you're entitled to them," grinned Plagg, flying out in front of him. "_And_ the part where _you_ finally said it out loud, that you want Marinette to be more than just a friend!"

Adrien gathered his thoughts for a moment... at least the ones he could still locate. "I do," he managed. "I know that now. But Nathalie is right... Kagami broke through my shell first, and I responded, and what we're pretty close to could end up being amazing. She's wonderful, too. I can't just shut that down for a _lot_ of reasons."

"Yeah. Your father would..." Plagg began.

"My father has nothing to do with it," snapped Adrien. "I mean, yes, Nathalie was right; if Kagami and I were to break up badly, that could inconvenience his business deal, but that's not at all what I'm worried about. I can't do that because _Kagami doesn't deserve that_. It would be a terrible thing for me to do."

"Well, I think you know what comes next, then. You and Kagami need to talk," directed Plagg. "And she and Marinette are friends, and Marinette knows you've been kissing Kagami... so _she_ may not want to get in the way of that. All three of you need to clear the air somehow. Maybe before you're lying on a mat with Marinette again, staring into big blue eyes."

"I agree completely," said Adrien, slowly. "Now... how do I manage that?"

* * *

"You don't have to say it, if it is embarrassing for him... I just can't figure it out, though," Marinette told him.

Coming to a decision, the Gorilla laid his head down on his arm as if it was a pillow, feigning sleep. He made a motion over his head with the other hand.

"...It was a dream that Adrien had?" wondered Marinette. "About what?"

The Gorilla made the dreaming motion again... then put his hands together and looked up, as if wishing or praying.

"So he's dreaming that something will happen, hoping that his wish will come true?" asked Marinette. "But what does that have to do with his window?"

The traffic jam in front of them began to show signs of movement, finally. Quickly, the Gorilla mimed pushing something open... then footsteps walking through it.

"He wishes that something would come in through his window?" Marinette looked rather puzzled. "But he's on the second floor. What does he have in mind that could do that? I mean, I know he misses his mother terribly... but somehow I doubt that she can fly."

The Gorilla looked back at her, clearly not agreeing with her interpretation... but at that moment, his lane began to move, and his attention was forced back to the road.

"Huh," mumbled Marinette. "Maybe I'll ask him again about that... or maybe not. He turned _awfully_ red when I asked today."

* * *

"I see," Gabriel mused. "So my son has finally had his head turned... his first full-fledged infatuation."

"I don't know if I would call it his first, per se," Nathalie clarified. "I have suspected that there has been someone else on his mind... a celebrity of some sort, perhaps a pop singer or actress? Not an uncommon thing for any schoolboy. This is the first time I have seen him starry-eyed over a classmate, however, or anyone else who is in his everyday life."

"I suppose that I can count my blessings that it is not the Bourgeois girl," muttered Gabriel. "Perish the thought! Even so, this complicates matters."

"While sitting on their private workout session today, I did my best to judge each of their frames of mind," said Nathalie. "Adrien is smitten, but he is unsure of whether she would respond in kind. He is also well aware that he and Miss Tsurugi remain entwined; I gave him a firm reminder of that in private, that she is not to be taken for granted or mishandled."

"Thank you for that," Gabriel smiled. "Teenage boys are not known for their judgment and forethought in such matters, and he will save us all many headaches if he remains true to her. You have seen him with each of them, Nathalie; how do they compare in his eyes?"

"That is difficult to say," Nathalie evaded. "Kagami drew first blood, romantically speaking, and I have seen the two of them being physically affectionate recently... about which Adrien did not appear to have any complaints. She has made her interest clear, and he seemed reluctant to escalate it... but he has, somewhat. He tends to keep those emotions rather bundled up, and doesn't speak of them much with me."

"And of Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

"He speaks of little else _but_ her, and has for some time," Nathalie smiled. "She was one of his first close friends at Françoise Dupont, and he has struggled at times to interpret her reactions. I have long suspected that she has nurtured her own crush on him; do you recall that television program where her wall of pictures of him was revealed?"

"How can I not? I was astounded that she maintained enough control not to draw my Akuma like a magnet. Even _I_ felt bad for her that day," Gabriel marveled.

"And yet... they have maintained a certain distance all this while, even while growing as friends," explained Nathalie. "He has not pursued her, and she has... bided her time, I suppose? Or perhaps she truly _doesn't_ have that interest. He has asked her about it and she has denied it, though anxiety or fear of rejection might explain that. But recently, the tables have turned... Her comfort level with him has grown significantly, and he is fascinated by her. There is a spark there that I have not seen him display with anyone else... not even Kagami. He is completely genuine about it."

"I see. Is this a problem, Nathalie, one which we must nip in the bud? You are aware of whom I would prefer, simply from a business perspective," glared Gabriel.

_Well, this is it,_ Nathalie thought. _Which way should I go with this?_

* * *

At long last, the Agreste sedan pulled up to the curb in front of Marinette's house. When her car door opened, she stepped out quickly and signaled to the Gorilla. "Wait here for just a moment, okay?" she asked him.

He got back into the driver's seat, but followed her request and waited, watching her dash into the bakery on the ground floor. When she returned, she had a small box in her hands, wrapped up with a thin ribbon.

"This is for you, okay?" Marinette told him. "Cream puffs. For being kind and listening to me today, and for getting stuck in this traffic mess trying to get me home, and for helping me make sense of all this. Thank you so much."

Wide-eyed, he made a brief _You don't have to_ protest... but one whiff of what was in the box demolished all resistance, and he accepted it with a grateful smile. Tapping his watch and gesturing with his head, he indicated that he really did have to get moving.

"I won't hold you up any later. Thanks again, Mr. G," beamed Marinette, and she gave him a small wave as he pulled away as swiftly as traffic would allow.

* * *

"It is not a problem right now, I believe," Nathalie said after a deep breath. "And it may well turn to our benefit, in time."

"Explain, please?" asked Gabriel.

"As I noted when she first arrived here... Marinette is a girl of many talents," Nathalie began. "Fashion and graphic design have obvious benefits for us, once cultivated properly. She is exceptionally bright and perceptive. She seems to have no interest in Adrien's fame, money or career implications, which is a breath of fresh air; her focus is on him, not on what he can do for her. She has also befriended Kagami, which should interest you; she is aware that Kagami and Adrien are already close, and does not seem the type to overstep others' established boundaries."

"Continue," Gabriel ordered her. "What are you suggesting?"

"That Marinette may well have better long-term compatibility with Adrien than Kagami does. She has certainly woken him up in ways that Kagami has not... not yet, at least. A potential future asset, perhaps, well worth watching over. And to be candid... I believe that he has benefited greatly from their friendship this year. To cut him off from her abruptly would do far more harm than good." Nathalie gave Gabriel what she hoped was a persuasive expression. "And you were his age once yourself. If he is head-over-heels and you tell him whom he is not allowed to desire... do you expect a good reaction?"

"No, I would not," Gabriel sighed. "I would expect him to kick like a mule; another headache that I would not need. Fine... I assume that you can keep an eye on things and ward off potential fireworks. May I ask one other thing?"

"Of course, Sir."

"Is she at least learning the martial arts that she came for?" asked Gabriel, wryly.

"Actually... yes, she is," said Nathalie. "She has some talent for it, and Adrien is taking it seriously."

"Good. Then allow that to continue," directed Gabriel. "That will do for now, thank you."

* * *

As she left Gabriel's office, Nathalie breathed a sigh of some relief. _All right, Adrien,_ she thought. _I have gone to bat for you and your young lady friend, mostly because it's the most efficient way to handle this dilemma. The most harmony with the fewest immediate complications. And in part because... well... I wasn't lying in there. She has been good for you to befriend. She does seem genuine... and she does make you brighten up in a way that I've never seen from you before._

_I may be the least sentimental person in all of Paris, Adrien... but even I know that that deserves a chance._

_But now I have my own dilemma, _she smiled. _Without inserting myself into your every interaction... h__ow do I keep your young hands from teaching Marinette an entirely DIFFERENT set of holds and grabs?_

* * *

Next time:

* "Do we need an extra plate?"

* "Can I say that I am thrilled by this?"

* Gathering some opinions... including a very important one.

* Lesson Three beckons.

* "Well, I'm glad that can help HER sleep tonight..."

And more!


	5. Chapter 5

Throw Me Around Like One Of Your French Girls, Chapter 5

* * *

As Marinette entered the family dining room, her father was just finishing up setting the table for supper.

"Hello, Marinette!" Tom called to her, smiling as he saw the red aikidogi folded up under her arm. "Do we need an extra plate tonight?" he teased.

"An extra plate?" asked Sabine from the kitchen.

"Well, I'm not sure. Our daughter may have kidnapped her self-defense instructor," grinned Tom. "She's carrying something suspicious."

"No, I didn't!" yelled Marinette, loud enough for her mother to hear. "He's not here. I just brought the uniform home today, so I could show you."

"Oooh!" cooed Sabine, who scurried out to join them. "May we see?"

Marinette unfolded her gi and held it up against herself, showing it off. "It's a perfect fit," she noted. "He did a great job estimating my measurements."

"Well, he _does _come from a house of fashion. I would have expected no less," Sabine agreed. "That _is_ very nice, dear! I think I see what you meant when you worried about what it had cost him."

"Yeah," Marinette said. "I owe him big just for the lessons; I hadn't been expecting this."

Tom considered that for a moment. "If he's comfortable with the cost - and his father is - I wouldn't worry about it too much. He's a nice young man, and he clearly thinks very highly of you. But if you can think of a large favor or two that you can do for _him..._"

"I'm already brainstorming that, believe me," she grinned. "He did mention that he'd enjoy coming over here sometime to visit... and he's got some kind of custom game console that he can bring that plays all the old systems."

"Oh?" Tom asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Your old Nintendo, some Sega, some Atari... a bunch of them that I had never heard of... and arcade games, too. I told him that you might be interested in seeing that."

"Definitely!" beamed Tom. "When I was your age, I used to be a terror at some of those old games."

"Be careful, Marinette," her mother chuckled. "Adrien might find some games that he _and _your father can beat you at."

"Now, consider _that_ challenge accepted." Marinette's smile was a warm one. "I'll see when he can get free and come over... though I might be taking up too much of his time already."

Sabine saw Marinette's face fall slightly. "Is everything all right, Marinette?" she asked. "His father isn't giving you the evil eye about that, is he?"

"No... I actually talked with his assistant Nathalie for a while today, while we were practicing, and she seemed comfortable with me being there. And then I was talking with Mr. G, the chauffeur, about how today went, and, um..." she trailed off.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Sabine, to which Marinette nodded. "Come on in the kitchen with me, then. We can chat while you help me finish up tonight's supper. Tom, you're fine in here?"

"Oh, of course," replied Tom. "Almost done."

* * *

Marinette followed her mother into the kitchen, and immediately took over some vegetable chopping that her mother had been doing.

"So... what's on your mind?" Sabine asked.

"I'm... I had a moment with Adrien today. And then another one. And then an even bigger one upstairs with him, after I changed clothes," admitted Marinette. "Nothing _happened_, okay? But I kind of got the feeling that Adrien... um... was hoping something would."

"As in, he's finally noticing you that way? I assume that the _something_ isn't something... you know..."

"_No,_ not like that. Adrien is a perfect gentleman, and his hands only go where they're supposed to, in _and_ out of the dojo_," _Marinette blushed furiously. "You don't even have to ask that."

"Of course I don't. But it never hurts to be sure," smiled Sabine. "But you think that you are getting romantic signals?"

"I am. We've been getting so much closer since these lessons started, and I've wanted that for so long... but I've caught him watching me with this silly little smile, a handful of times now. He's finding reasons for us to be together more often. He gives me these soft eyes and I'm just... _ohhhhh_!" shuddered Marinette. "And I almost felt like we were about to kiss today, before I chickened out. And Mr. G seemed to agree that he thinks Adrien is noticing me, too."

"Really... that's interesting," noted Sabine. "I know that you'd told me that Adrien was very close with Kagami now. Is that not a thing?"

"It is... and that's what's troubling me," said Marinette. "I don't want to be the kind of person who would break up a couple... especially when they're both friends of mine. That wasn't my intention at all when I asked him about these lessons."

She sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. Sabine fiddled with the stove for a moment, making sure nothing would boil over, then sat across from her.

"I have asked him about Kagami... and he's asked me about Luka. And we've both said that what we've have could go somewhere special... but it hasn't yet. But I know that Kagami and Adrien have gotten close! I've seen her kiss him, and I've seen them being cuddly," explained Marinette. "Luka and I haven't gotten there. Not quite."

"Still a very delicate situation, though. What do you plan to do about it?" asked Sabine.

"I'm calling Kagami tonight; I need to talk with her," Marinette replied, "though I'm still figuring out what I want to say. I don't want to throw Adrien under the bus because he _might_ be interested in me, you know? He hasn't made a _big_ move. But I want her to know that _I'm_ not making moves of my own."

"Marinette... you're right to be concerned. I know you don't want to hurt her," Sabine sympathized. "But I want to remind you of something else, too... that Adrien can make his own decisions. If he is noticing you, that doesn't mean that you're leading him that way. If he does decide that he'd rather be with you than Kagami, that's up to him, and then it's up to _you_ what you want to do about that."

"I know. But I want to play fair with her," smiled Marinette. "She did with me, and besides, it's only right."

"You have a good heart," beamed Sabine. "And I'm sure you'll find the right words. But for now, let's see if your chopping fingers are just as good."

"Right," Marinette grinned, returning to the kitchen station.

* * *

About three hours later, Marinette popped the hatch to her balcony and climbed up.

"It's a little chilly out tonight for this, isn't it?" asked Tikki, floating close behind.

"Maybe a little? I just wanted a little fresh air, though," explained Marinette. "Sometimes I feel like I think better up here."

"And what are you thinking?"

Tikki circled around in front of Marinette and gave her a sympathetic look. "For what it's worth... I think that your mother made sense earlier," she ventured. "What's happening isn't all on your shoulders."

"I know, Tikki," Marinette said. "But that doesn't mean that I don't need to be extra-careful." She flopped down onto a lounge chair, looking up at the early evening sky.

"I'm trying hard not to overreact," she added, quietly. "I finally feel like I'm getting closer to Adrien the right way, and it feels _so good!_ Like it could've been all along if I'd kept myself under control and my brain had worked around him this year."

"It's not that simple," argued Tikki. "It's not like he gave you the side-eye all year and only now wants to be your friend. Even at your most nervous and anxious, he's always been fond of you. He's always wanted to be closer to you. And now he's getting his chance, and he can't get enough. That's a good thing no matter how you look at it."

"I know," smiled Marinette. "And it's not like I'm calling Kagami just to drop a bomb on her; I wanted to talk to her anyway. It's been a week or so since I heard from her."

"Well, I won't stop you, then," Tikki said.

"Here goes."

* * *

"Hey!" said Marinette, as brightly as she could. "Are you busy?"

"No, not really," replied Kagami, showing a smile. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good. And you?"

The girls exchanged small talk for several minutes, catching up on what each had been up to lately. When Marinette brought up that Adrien had been teaching her self-defense techniques, Kagami perked up immediately.

"I _heard_ about that! Adrien told me that you are a natural at aikido," she smiled. "Which does not surprise me; you know what I said about your fencing potential! Any time that you would like a similar workout with me, let me know! I can show you saber or foil, or some kendo..."

"I think that I'd like that," Marinette replied. "Though I figured that aikido was a great fit because I can do that anywhere. I won't always have a sword or a stick with me."

"Absolutely! They are very situational... but you might be surprised what you can pick up and use those techniques with. Perfect for a rainy day, for example," laughed Kagami.

"Listen... I wanted to talk with you about my practice sessions with Adrien. And I'm searching for the right words to say about this," ventured Marinette, with hesitation in her voice. _Time to rip the bandage off,_ she told herself.

"Oh?" asked Kagami. "What is on your mind?"

"Well..."

* * *

Marinette's voice remained steady as she told her story... but she was positive that her face was giving away every _I want him SO BADLY and I know that you're with him now and I am SO SORRY but you KNOW what his eyes can do to a girl _thought in her head at once.

"I want to make sure that I'm not alarming you too much," stressed Marinette. "Because even if Adrien is sending me signals... well, to start with, a big part of me can't believe that he _is_, because I know that you mean so much to him. I've watched you two. I've talked with him about you. I know that that's real."

"Go on, please," said Kagami, evenly.

"He's been a good friend all year to me... because I couldn't make myself ask for more from him. You gave me my chances, and I didn't take them. And you went for what you wanted, and you've got it. And I take that seriously, okay?" Marinette stammered. "You're a good friend of mine, too. I couldn't make myself ask Adrien before; I'm _not_ asking for more right now. I'm just... I just felt like I needed to tell you what's happening... and what's _not_ happening... and to make sure that you're comfortable with it."

Kagami was silent for a moment... then had her smile return.

"Marinette... you are not someone whom I feel like I would need to worry about. I know how honest you are, and what you're telling me tonight proves it yet again," she told Marinette. "But you passed a small test tonight."

* * *

It was Marinette's turn to look startled.

"First of all..." Kagami began, "it is not for me to say, or even guess how Adrien feels about you. He can say that himself, and he should when he is ready. What I do know... is that he did not 'notice' you this week. He noticed you long before you even realized that he was looking. I knew that before _he _did."

"What... do you mean?" Marinette asked, sticking to single syllables while her brain entered recovery mode.

"From the day that I met you... that I truly met you, I mean, the day at the skating rink?" said Kagami. "I knew that you were someone very special to Adrien. It was in his every glance, in the way he spoke about you. And I will admit that I did not like you very much that day... because I was so sure that you knew how he thought of you. That you had both Luka and Adrien dancing like puppets on your strings."

"I... I... _no!_" babbled Marinette, helplessly. "It was nothing at _all_ like that!"

"Breathe, Marinette. I know far better than that _now,_" Kagami smiled. "It wasn't until we started talking after Friendship Day that things became clearer for me, though. That he had your heart in his pocket, and he didn't know it, and you had his eye, and _you_ didn't know it. And I kept waiting for you to make your move... and when you didn't, I promise you, I worried just as much about hurting _you_ by pursuing him myself."

"I appreciate that," said Marinette, slowly. "But I'm not asking you to let me make that move now. Even if you weren't in the picture, I'm not sure if I'd be ready... but you are. And if, for some reason, _he_ does..."

"...Are you suggesting that you would be able to resist it?" asked Kagami, dryly.

"I have no idea," came Marinette's completely honest response. "But I promise you that I'll try."

"There is something else that you should know, Marinette," Kagami continued. "I know that Adrien is not about to simply... change targets. I know that because I talked with him tonight, about an hour ago."

* * *

"..." said Marinette.

"Do you know the other reason that I waited so long? Because, I promise you, I was being honest that day at the rink. _I ALMOST never hesitate_."

"...Go on?"

"Because I watched you and I watched Adrien. I may not know much about love and relationships... but I am also not blind. And I wanted to give _him_ every chance to figure out how to respond to _you_. To get him to be honest with himself about it. So that we did not end up exactly like this, with the three of us all walking on eggshells."

Marinette's face fell. "This is not what I wanted, either, Kagami. I am so sorry. Please don't be angry with Adrien..."

"No! No, Marinette, I'm not. This is good... in a very strange way, I have to admit. This is that clarity that both of you needed. I am a little bit glad that this has finally happened," clarified Kagami. "Because now you and I and Adrien can all be open and honest with each other. Adrien can make a real decision. If it is to be a competition... it will be a fair one at last."

"Now, do not get me wrong..." grinned Kagami, watching Marinette's astonished expression. "If it is to be a competition, it is one that I do intend to _win!_ Because make no mistake, I like what I have with Adrien very much, and I would _love _for it to reach a point where we are completely a couple, where we are exclusive."

"But you're not there yet," Marinette repeated. "You're sure you're not there yet?"

"We are not there... but not far off. Close enough, for instance, that he felt that it was important to tell me that he has gotten much closer to you recently... and that you have been opening up with him like never before, and he has loved every minute of that... and that he needed to be honest with me about that before he sees you again. That told me that he does not take my affection lightly, so, no, I am not furious at him," Kagami said, simply. "How can I be angry at him for being honest with me? Or with you?"

"Can I say that I am thrilled by this?" she added. "Not really. Because Adrien and I _were_ right on the brink... and now things just got complicated all over again. But I would rather us all go into this with all eyes wide open than be looking over my shoulder, wondering when something like this might happen."

Examining Marinette's expression, Kagami felt the need to clarify even further. "Let me put it this way, Marinette. Adrien and I have gotten to where we're at least cuddling and kissing. And I will say that I have no complaints about _that_," she emphasized. "But... I could tell that he's not _sure_. Not completely, not yet. Our talk tonight was simply more proof of that."

Marinette shook her head, helplessly. "I'm so confused," she blurted. "I don't know what to do now."

"Marinette..."

Over the phone, Kagami's eyes were not unkind.

"I want you to be yourself. To be honest with Adrien like you're being honest with me now. To always be his friend - and mine, whether you or me or both of us end up dating him."

_"...Both?"_

"You know what? Never mind that last part," Kagami muttered, seeing an entirely new world of concepts flashing before Marinette's eyes. "Not now. What I am saying is... you are important to him, no matter what else you are to each other. We are the only two who have opened his eyes like that. That is a precious thing, and one that I would not see you waste."

Marinette managed a sweet and genuine smile.

"And I'm being honest with you when I say that... I don't know what I _want_ to do regarding Adrien. One reason we've gotten closer is because I'd figured I no longer had a chance with him that way... and that took so much pressure off and I could think straight around him," she replied. "I'm loving how easy this is now with him... and it's based on deeper friendship first. Maybe... that's what we needed! Maybe that's better for us to stay that way. Maybe if I think about him as a potential boyfriend again, I'll go right back to being tongue-tied and awkward and that closeness will go away."

"Perhaps. I cannot say what would be best there," Kagami answered. "I'm having enough trouble figuring out what's best to do on _my_ end, and Adrien has his own opinions. I will say this... when we talked tonight, he did not declare 'I'm in love with Marinette now.' Or in love with _me,_ either. The three of us have some room to figure this out." She paused, with a curious expression on her face. "Can I ask you a question, Marinette?" she added.

"Of course."

"Is there... anyone _else_ at your school that he has seemed interested in?" asked Kagami.

Marinette looked quite puzzled. "No... not that I have ever heard him talk about, at least. I know that he's friendly with Chloe Bourgeois, but he would never want to date her, for instance. Why do you ask?"

"It's just... a nagging little thing in my mind. When he was hesitating with me, he had sometimes spoken as if there was someone else in his heart, someone that he didn't want to talk about with me," reasoned Kagami. "I assumed that he meant you... but the more that I've gotten to know the two of you, that doesn't seem to fit."

"If there is someone else... gosh, I sure hope there isn't!... I don't know who she could be," Marinette said. "He's friendly with everybody, but I haven't seen him take a special interest in anyone besides... well, us."

"Good. We have enough to figure out without some third girl turning his head," smiled Kagami.

"Agreed," beamed Marinette.

"So..." Kagami said. "What else have you been doing this week?"

* * *

Adrien knew that he needed to sleep soon; school was beckoning and the next morning wasn't all that far away... but it wasn't going to be an easy state to reach.

He was flat on his back in his bed, replaying his conversation with Kagami over and over in his mind. It seemed like they'd ended it in a good place... but it had been dangerous ground along the way.

_This is why I was so edgy about making things 'official' with Kagami in the first place,_ he worried. _Well, not EXACTLY... it was because I'm still in love with someone else, but THAT someone wears red and black. But now Marinette's snuck up on me and caught me without even trying. _

_And that feels so right... but Nathalie was right, too. I know that Kagami's interest is sincere, and how wrong it would be of me to hurt her. I'm still not sure if I'm... well... projecting what I want to see onto Marinette. This new closeness, this ease with her is completely addictive... I can barely think of anything else... but is it mutual? _

_Or is Marinette at ease now because she thinks that Kagami and I are a couple, so now she doesn't have to worry about my hitting on her?_

_I'm risking so much on what I _think_ I'm seeing from her. I wish that I had a way of..._

Abruptly, his phone rang.

_Well, hello there._

He picked up the call with a sincere "Hello, Marinette."

"Hi! I was just thinking about you," he heard.

* * *

"I was a little surprised to see you were awake," Marinette began. "But I saw you were active on Messenger, so..."

"I could say the same," parried Adrien. "We're both expected in the same classroom, bright and early tomorrow."

"True," she smiled. "I'm pretty sleepy; I'm not going to keep you up too late. I just wanted to say thank you again for today; I had a great time with you, and I feel like I'm learning a lot."

"Absolutely my pleasure," he beamed. "I can see how quickly you're picking it up... but I'll also stress that we're just barely scratching the surface, covering basic techniques. These are arts that you could spend years studying."

"Oh, I know," said Marinette. "How long have you been at it?"

"I'm in my third year of karate," Adrien explained. "The t'ai chi and aikido, about a year for each."

"They're serious about you knowing how to defend yourself. Not that that's a bad thing to know, obviously..."

"Well, the Gorilla can't always be with me. He is a really nice guy, but I do need some alone time now and then," Adrien said. "Otherwise..."

"I can see it now. 'Do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?', and he answers for you with a thumbs-up," giggled Marinette. "He _is _really nice. We've talked a little on my way home..."

Adrien gave her a raised eyebrow, so she clarified, "Okay, I did the actual talking there. But I'm glad that you have him."

"Me too." Adrien's mind whirled through some possibilities. "So..." he asked, "I was thinking. Are you available on Tuesday? Maybe I can free up some afternoon time for another lesson..."

"Well..." Marinette backpedaled, "Actually... can we wait until Thursday and do it then, like we'd planned? I, uh... do want to be careful that I don't wear out my welcome around your house."

"I would _love_ to have you here, any time that you'd like to..."

"And I would love to be there," smiled Marinette, "but you and I aren't the only ones involved. You do have a lot of other responsibilities on your plate, other people who also want some of your time, and I want to be respectful of that..."

"True, but..." argued Adrien.

"...and I'm expecting company on Tuesday afternoon. Kagami's coming over to my house then," Marinette continued. "I talked with her tonight, and..."

"Oh, she called you?" interrupted Adrien, a little anxiously.

"Actually... I called _her," _said Marinette. "I hadn't talked with her lately, and I wanted to catch up... I thought that she might be interested in how our lessons are going, too."

"Uh-huh! She is," Adrien replied. "I was talking with her about that after you left, as a matter of fact..."

"Of course you were," Marinette answered, lightly. "She told me that, too. She's offered to teach me some fencing basics, or some kendo."

"Heh. Be ready for that if you do," grinned Adrien. "Kagami would try to be gentle with you, I'm sure, but she doesn't do much of anything at half speed."

"Definitely," said Marinette. "I know what her competitive spirit can be like... so I'll tread lightly. I wouldn't want her thinking that it'd be anything other than _very_ friendly competition. If we are even competing at all, that is."

Adrien blinked. _Are we still talking about martial arts here?_ he wondered.

* * *

"So... what are you two doing on Tuesday?" asked Adrien.

"Just hanging out, mostly. I told her that we were talking about including her in some gaming nights sometime, and she said that she'd like to try but she doesn't know much about video games. So I'll introduce her to a bunch of... what?"

She saw Adrien stifle a laugh. "I'll have to warn her about you and video games like I warned you about her and fencing," he chuckled.

"Are you suggesting that I'm a _little bit_ dangerous with a game controller in my hand?" teased Marinette.

"Yes," he answered, flatly, but with a smile.

"Oh, I have plenty of titles that we could play together, cooperative ones, not head-to-head. Though there'll be some of those, too."

"Well, how about this, then? I can wait 'til Thursday if you can... but what if I bring in that homemade console to school tomorrow, and you can borrow it and play it with Kagami?" asked Adrien.

"That would be so nice of you! Are you sure?" asked Marinette.

"Of course. I know it'll be in good hands," Adrien smiled.

"Like I said earlier... you can be the sweetest person I know," beamed Marinette.

"...About earlier. Can I ask you something, Marinette?"

She fell silent, then nodded, her heart pounding.

* * *

"I'm not sure how to ask this. I'm not sure if I _should_ ask this... but I need to,_" _said Adrien, and Marinette felt electrified by the look on his face.

_Is this really happening? _she thought, holding her breath.

"I meant every word I said to you today, Marinette," he continued. "And I know that you've told me that you don't think of me... that way. And we both know that Kagami and I are... well..."

"Cozy," Marinette managed. "I know that."

"And Kagami and I still have some doubts. We're not... there yet. Did Kagami say that?"

"She did," agreed Marinette, quietly. "And I told her-"

"Wait. Please, I need to say something first." Adrien gathered his will. "When I said how much I've loved our new closeness... it's more than I'd realized. More than I've said. And I kind of felt like... a couple of times this week, and especially up on my couch today... there was something new there between us. Something... important."

Adrien gave her a searching look that shut out everything else in Marinette's world. "...Am I right about that, Marinette?" he asked.

* * *

"I..."

Marinette closed her eyes for a long moment. When she opened them, she seemed shaken up.

"Adrien..." she whispered, "Kagami asked me to do something. To be honest with you, as honest as I was with her. And I don't know if I can do that yet... but I want to try."

She let his expectant smile give her strength.

"I had told you that I wasn't... thinking of you like that. A couple of times. And when I did... Adrien... that wasn't true," she gulped out. "I have always wanted to be your good friend, the kind of close friend that I know you've needed so much. But... it's not just..." She paused, then said, simply, "It was never just about... 'being really into fashion.' I have adored what we've had... honest, I have... but..."

"Marinette...?" breathed Adrien. "You've been more than just a friend to me for a long time."

"But I _am_ that friend, too," Marinette continued. "And it was as that friend that I asked you to teach me, and how we've been spending this time together. And I agree, Adrien... I have loved every second of it. I want more of it! But like I said before... you have a lot of things on your mind right now. Kagami is a very big one of those things. I don't want you to make a hasty decision, the kind where someone might get hurt."

She took a deep breath...

"There _i__s_ something there, I will admit," she added, looking at him on her phone with wide eyes. "Something strong."

_Don't go into full confession mode now,_ she ordered herself before continuing. Adrien's face showed a cavalcade of emotions.

"You are someone who could make me... lose control of myself, and it wouldn't take much. So maybe the best thing to do is to just... keep going like we have been for now? We're getting to be really close friends now; let's build on that and see what happens."

Adrien watched Marinette choke up a bit. "Are you all right?" he asked, with visible concern.

"I am. I promise," she smiled back. "Just getting those words out took a lot out of me... but that'll help me sleep tonight, now that I've finally said it."

"So... wow," Adrien marveled. "So we'll go to school tomorrow, and neither of us will be able to stop grinning at each other, and all our friends will stare at us and wonder about this little secret we both have now?"

"Something like that," Marinette replied, managing a laugh. "If it was just the two of us... I don't know what I'd do. But it isn't right now, so let's not overthink it yet, okay? I... I really want to spend time with you like we have been, Adrien. Like you said to me today... just being with you is a gift in itself."

"I can work with that," agreed Adrien. "I think that's probably the smartest way that we can do this."

"Oh, and speaking of gifts... I showed my mom and dad the aikidogi you got me _that I am still going to find a way to pay you back for_," Marinette said, brightly. "They really liked it!"

"That's great! And I still say that you don't..."

"And I still really like it, too."

Turning her phone around, Marinette flipped her bedsheet off her body... revealing that she was wearing her gi right then and there.

"I told you it was so soft that I could wear it as pajamas," she giggled. "I just couldn't resist."

Adrien stared at two slim legs in red pantlegs and ten red-tipped toes, then at Marinette's grinning face as she turned the camera back onto her face.

"I, um..." stammered Adrien. "I'm very... glad you like it that much."

"And on that note... I'll see you tomorrow? Good night, Adrien," smiled Marinette.

"Good night, Marinette. Pleasant dreams!"

* * *

As Adrien hung up... he laid back on his pillow and stared straight up at his ceiling.

_This adorable, amazing girl that I can't stop thinking about... she likes me._

_She LIKES likes me._

_She has all along!_

_If I had only known...!_

A world of possibilities floated through his head. Could-have-beens, should-have-beens, and a few might-just-happen-after-alls jockeyed for position.

But one mental image refused to leave the foreground... Marinette Dupain-Cheng, all wrapped up in his present, drifting off to dreamland with a peaceful smile.

_Well, I'm glad that can help HER sleep tonight..._

* * *

Next time:

* "Would you please tell your father to go to bed?"

* A mild interrogation.

* "ASK HIM!"

* Reassembling Adrien's brain.

* Lesson Three begins.

And more!


	6. Chapter 6

Throw Me Around Like One Of Your French Girls, Chapter 6

* * *

Marinette rose from her bed with a warm smile and something of a spring in her step. Tikki looked on with mild surprise.

"Well! Someone got out of the right side of bed today," Tikki noted, pleasantly.

"I only have one way out of my bed, unless you count going up to my balcony. And I don't plan on showing off my pajamas to the neighborhood," giggled Marinette. "Though I suppose that this particular set, I could... it's modest enough."

"You showed off your pajamas to Adrien's fan base the day that you went to the movies with him," countered Tikki.

"That was _so_ not intentional, and you know that!" declared Marinette. "My aikidogi, on the other hand... I could show off a few moves... a couple of katas to greet the morning sun..."

"And who do you think would be looking at you up there?" Tikki grinned.

"Nobody, I would _hope,"_ Marinette smiled. "And, no, I'm not going to wear my gi to school today, either."

"I bet that it would get just a little attention if you did. So..." continued Tikki, "What are you going to say to Adrien when you see him today?"

"Honestly?" Marinette paused for a moment. "I'm not completely sure. I've been thinking about it, but my brain may have other ideas once he's in front of me. I mean... we told each other that we _like_ each other last night!"

"And that you're both going to hold back on doing anything about it, right?" Tikki asked. "At least for now."

"Uh-huh," agreed Marinette. "And I'm going to try very hard not to get between him and Kagami. But what we said... so much could change between us! I feel good... but I'm also pretty nervous."

"I think that you said all the right things last night... with both of them," Tikki counseled her. "Do your best to hang onto that unless one of them gives you a reason not to."

"I'll do my best," grinned Marinette, heading into her bathroom.

* * *

Downstairs, in the family dining room, Marinette and Sabine compared notes while munching on some breakfast.

"Interesting," Sabine noted, sipping on her tea. "So you found a way to maintain harmony with both of them?"

"I think so. Kagami and I are closer than ever, I think. But I can't believe that I told Adrien that I had... I _have_ feelings for him!" worried Marinette, growing a bit flustered.

"You weren't lying. And neither was he."

Sabine's gaze was steady. "Look at it this way, dear. Why did you spend most of this year barely able to speak when he was near you, hmmm?" she added.

"Because... well... I'm still trying to figure that out," Marinette mused. "I was so afraid that he would say 'no.' I was so afraid that he would say 'yes!' My brain kept jumping back and forth between those, I guess."

"And now, that pressure isn't there, because you're not feeling like either yes _or_ no is possible while he's with Kagami... so you're not so afraid any more," her mother smiled. "Feels pretty good, doesn't it?"

"It does," smiled Marinette. "But now he _knows_ and I don't know what to do next!"

"Oh, I do," suggested Sabine. "You're going to keep being just as comfortable with him, and you're going to show him the _real_ Marinette. The spunky, funny, chatty, wonderful girl that we've raised. The one that he told you last night he can't stop thinking about. And you're going to have such a good time with this."

"I am?" asked Marinette, looking hopeful but not sure if she was fully understanding.

"Of course you are. Now you get to talk and tease and flirt with him without feeling like it's risky!" Sabine grinned. "One of the hard parts is over now. You already know that he likes you, and you like him. You're being honest with each other now. You can really get to know each other properly; build a deeper relationship, and see where that leads you."

A text message distracted Sabine for a moment; she looked up from it with a knowing smile. "Oh, and Marinette? You'll be late for school if you don't get going soon... but when you do, go out through the bakery today, not through the back door."

"Sure, I will," said Marinette. "Does Dad need me for something?"

"Just do that, please. You'll see," Sabine smiled enigmatically, returning to her tea.

* * *

Marinette hurried down the stairs, seeing that she was indeed running out of preparation time. As she skidded into the bakery, she noticed her father behind a counter, calmly helping customers.

"H-hi, Dad," she panted. "Did you need me for something?"

"Just a small thing," Tom told her. "There's a customer by the door who's looking for something special."

Marinette turned... and saw a very familiar blonde head through one of the store's front windows, one that she'd spent many months studying carefully. Its owner seemed to be waiting patiently for her to appear.

"Oh!" she gasped, then broke out in a warm smile. "I suppose that I'd better go see what he would like, then," she told her father.

"That would be perfect," he grinned back.

* * *

A small bell on the door jingled as Marinette opened it, drawing Adrien's attention. His smile looked as nervous as she was sure that hers did... and somehow that did more to put butterflies in her stomach than anything else.

"Hi! G-good morning, Marinette," Adrien greeted her. "I was hoping that I'd catch you like this."

"H-hi!" breathed Marinette. "How are you today, Adrien?"

"Better now," he smiled. "Is it all right if we walk and talk?"

"We might have to go faster than a walk," suggested Marinette. "We might be late if we don't."

"Today... I don't really care," said Adrien. "Not if you don't."

Marinette wavered for a moment... then grinned. _It's not like I'm not known for late arrivals anyway,_ she reasoned. "Then let's walk and talk for a little while."

The two of them crossed the street, strolling side by side, wandering somewhat aimlessly around the school grounds.

* * *

"You'll have to pardon me if I'm a little wobbly. For some reason, I didn't get much sleep last night," began Adrien. "I couldn't stop thinking about our conversation."

"I hope that I didn't startle you too much, Adrien," Marinette ventured, with some concern. "But I meant what I said. And I wish that I'd found the courage to say it sooner."

"I do, too. Because..." Adrien stammered, struggling for the right words. "If I had known, I... I don't know if..."

He gazed at the blushing Marinette, feeling helpless. "Can I ask why you didn't tell me? All I have to do is look at you now and I can tell that you're sincere about it."

"I don't know. I just..." Marinette shook her head. "You've never had, just, a rush of feelings and not known what you could say or do about them?"

"Sometimes?" sympathized Adrien. "I think everybody does. And I guess we all handle that in our own way."

"And how we handle it _now_ is more important than how we got here," said Marinette. "I mean, I'm willing to talk about it with you, okay? But I don't want to dwell on the past right this minute."

"Y-yeah! I agree," Adrien replied. "I have so many apologies for you, but I guess that they can wait."

"Apologies?" wondered Marinette. "For what?"

"For not noticing how you felt before you told me. For not pushing harder when I saw that you were nervous with me and I wasn't sure why. For not-"

"Adrien..." Marinette tried to interrupt.

"For not telling you _every day_ how amazing you are. For it taking so long for me to realize just _how-"_

"_Adrien!_" she emphasized. "My _knees are weak_, listening to you like this."

"Then let's sit down for a minute." He gestured to a nearby bench, and the two of them moved to it, sitting side by side.

* * *

"Adrien... if there's one thing that I don't want, it's for what we have now to get _weird_ because of what we said and we know," Marinette told him, firmly. "I am... you mean too much to me to let that happen, and the way that we've been getting closer lately..."

"I want that too," Adrien insisted. "I mean, I _don't_ want it to get weird. You know what I mean. Don't you?"

"Yeah," she giggled. "Adrien, _relax!_ I'm not going to bite." After a moment's reflection, she added, "Wow, that seems strange, me telling _you_ that."

"I'd like to think that _I'm_ not that fearsome, either," Adrien told her.

"Only for all the right reasons," Marinette blushed. "You can be sure of that."

"Okay. Let's try and focus, you're right. What comes next is more important, and I'm... struggling with that," Adrien replied.

"I don't want you to be. What we've been like this week is... it's been so easy, and so perfect," Marinette consoled him.

"And it's just the beginning. I can feel it," said Adrien, earnestly. "Like how it's been meant to be all along. But I... I can't act on that... the way that I would like to... without hurting Kagami, and I really don't want to do _that."_

"And neither do I," insisted Marinette. "I talked with her for a while last night. She's a good friend to me and to you. She can be _more_ than that for you. I think that she should get that chance."

"But after what we said to each other last night..."

_Think about what you'd told him,_ Marinette reminded herself. _About what your mother just said to you. She made sense. __Use that._

"Adrien?" Marinette ventured, with something of a twinkle in her eye. "I think that maybe we've been looking at this the wrong way. Yes, we know now that I adore you and you adore me. That we're something far closer than just friends already. Buuuut... who says that we have to act on that _right now?_"

* * *

Adrien looked startled. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Just what I said," Marinette smiled. "I know that there's this wonderful, caring, sweet, _incredibly handsome,_ did I ever mention that part before? _Perfect_ boy in my life. And that I am so incredibly blessed that he feels strongly about me, and that I'm very important to him. And that just spending time with him makes me _glow_, now that I'm not letting my romantic daydreams run away with me."

She gave him a look that nearly melted him on the spot. "I've wanted that from the day I met you. So if I'm your best friend, your closest friend, but just not your _girlfriend_, what am I missing out on?"

Adrien scratched his head. "The, um... kissing parts? The romance, the dating, the toe-curling kinds of things?"

"Which I do believe that Kagami is more than willing to provide. And a lot more than _that,_" grinned Marinette. "I, uh... mean _girlfriendy _stuff by that, not... you know."

"I hadn't even _considered..._ other stuff," boggled Adrien.

"Good. Because she's as new to this as you are, but you knew that," she smiled. "If I thought that you and Kagami were just about... physical things... this might be a very different conversation! But I know better than that. She feels just as strongly for you as I do. There's something real between you two; you have a connection just like we do. She could be really good for you, and you for her."

_"You_ could be really good for me," he countered, "and vice versa."

"Oh, I plan to be!" Marinette grinned. "Just in a different way. And if you and I ever get to a point where we're both unattached... well... who knows what could happen then? And if it's meant to be then... it'll happen. But given the circumstances... I don't want to rush it if it's not the right time."

"Part of me... gets that. And you're right," Adrien said, slowly. "And if it means that this perfect girl next to me... and have I ever mentioned _that _before, Marinette? That you are beautiful, and brave, and _so_ intelligent and creative, so special, so ..."

Marinette felt her resistance wavering as he continued, leaning towards her very, very slowly. "If it means that I get to keep that incredible girl close to me, and we can get even closer... I can do that. I know I can. But part of me... wants to take a chance. To just lean over... right now... and kiss you. Long, and slow, and with every bit of feeling I have behind it. And see what happens then."

* * *

_Thwa-BOOM._

_Thwa-BOOM._

_THWA-BOOM._

_THWA-BOOOOOOM._

Marinette's heart felt like thunderclaps inside her chest.

* * *

"You could do that, Adrien. That's your choice, and I won't stop you," Marinette managed, in a small voice. "And if you do... I don't... no, I _do know_ what I'd do. I would kiss you back. With everything I have in _me._ And if that happens... _everything changes_. Because nothing on this earth could make me _stop_ kissing you."

Adrien froze in place, his eyes huge, his slow lean halting momentarily.

"But we're only going to get one chance at a first kiss. A _real_ first kiss, where we both completely mean it and nothing's the same after it happens. Maybe it'll never happen. Maybe it'll happen months or years from now. Maybe it'll happen right here on this bench today," she gulped.

"So... would you rather do that here and now? Or would you rather know how I feel, and I'll know how you feel, and we can _really_ get to know each other... and have so much more of what's gotten us this close, _and_ keep you and me _and_ Kagami from getting hurt?"

Adrien's face was full of emotion... and Marinette, viewing it, had no idea what would come next.

And, all at once, he leaned forward...

* * *

...and swept Marinette up in a deep and firm hug.

"When you're right... you're right," Adrien whispered.

"I hope I am," Marinette whispered back. "No, I know I am."

_Part of me is a little disappointed that he didn't just... go for it,_ she thought to herself, _but I'll yell at that part later. The rest of me knows that this is where we need to be now._

"Hey. We probably ought to make an appearance in class, don't you think?" she added a moment later, in a teasing tone. "Before everyone thinks that we're out here making out in the bushes?"

"Or... we could just do _that _first. That way they won't be disappointed."

Marinette stared at Adrien... who kept a straight face for about two seconds before they both started laughing.

"See? Now we're getting it," she grinned once her giggle fit passed. "We are going to have _so much_ fun together like this. I promise."

Adrien smiled back... then reached his hand out. She took it - feeling something of a rush inside her, but more fulfillment than pink clouds - and the two of them took off running.

* * *

"All right, class. Next, we will be looking at the works of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry," Ms. Bustier continued. "Most of you will know him from Le Petit Prince, but today our focus will be on-"

The door opened, squeaking slightly, causing many heads to turn. In her mind, Marinette reminded herself to sneak back sometime with a small can of oil.

"...our late arrivals, it seems," said Ms. Bustier, not skipping a beat. "All is well with you two, I hope?"

"Very, actually. I'm sorry for interrupting," murmured Marinette, hustling up to her seat quickly.

"M-me, too. Please continue," Adrien managed, cherry red in the face.

A low undercurrent filtered through the class rapidly. _What were they doing out there together? Were they HOLDING HANDS when they first came in? Did he... did she... did THEY FINALLY..._

_"Ahem!" _their teacher intoned, tapping a pen on her desk to regain the class's attention. "While I am sure that theirs is an interesting story, _their_ story will not be on your next quiz. This one will," she smiled. "May we continue?"

* * *

Once class had ended, Marinette and Adrien circled around their eager friends and approached Ms. Bustier's desk, a bit sheepishly.

"We just wanted to apologize for being late," Marinette ventured, "and interrupting you earlier..."

"And to promise that it won't happen again..." added Adrien.

"Well, at least not with Adrien. I know that I have a habit of this, and..." admitted Marinette.

"...And you would like me to not write the two of you up for tardiness, I am sure," Ms. Bustier noted, evenly. "Can you give me a good reason for what happened this morning, at least?"

The teens looked at each other, as if asking _Do you want to try?_ with their eyes. Marinette turned back to their teacher and took a deep breath.

"You see... Okay. Adrien and I have been... he's been teaching me some martial arts, because someone I know was harassed lately, and he's really good at it, and every girl ought to know some things, and we've been getting a lot closer lately while we've..."

She trailed off, seeing Ms. Bustier's eyebrow raise. "Okay, I'll get to the point," she winced. "I'm babbling."

"I'm not angry at either of you. I would just like to know that things are all right between you," Ms. Bustier sympathized. "But can you draw your story closer to what happened this morning, before my next class begins?"

"Ma'am... Marinette and I... kind of had a breakthrough last night, talking things over. Talking out what we... well... are to each other," volunteered Adrien. "And we hadn't seen each other in person since then, and we..."

"...We really needed to talk it out, face-to-face," Marinette finished his sentence. "So that either of us could think for the rest of the day."

"I see! That is of some import," smiled Ms. Bustier. "And you reached a satisfactory conclusion between you?"

"You could say that," smiled Marinette, trying not to turn red. "The best of friends... and maybe more than that, someday."

"It's a little bit complicated," stammered Adrien. "There are other people involved, and we're being cautious about _their_ feelings first, and... well... we'll see what happens before either of us does anything... big."

They squirmed under their teacher's silent gaze for a moment... feeling some relief when a smile broke out on her face.

"I suppose that I shouldn't fret too much," she mused. "Honesty is always something to be encouraged, I feel... and I admire that the two of you are being fully honest with each other." The _It's about time_ at the end of that was silent, and perhaps only in the listeners' imaginations.

Marinette wanted to ask "...What were we being before?", but yanked it back before vocalizing it.

"You're off the hook. Just don't do it again, please?" Ms. Bustier told them. As they thanked her and headed for the door, she added, "Marinette? At least not again this week. I can hope for that much."

* * *

Out in the hallway, Marinette and Adrien faced each other, silly grins on both faces.

"That went better than I'd expected," Adrien said.

"Yeah. She's kind of used to it from me, but if I'm corrupting _you_ now, that's a bigger deal. It might be criminal," smiled Marinette. "Turning such a gentle soul to delinquency!"

_"Corrupting_ me?" pondered Adrien. "I should be so lucky as to be more like you."

"You keep talking like that," Marinette blushed, "and you _will_ get that kiss we talked about."

"Is that a promise?" Adrien grinned.

"No, it's a _threat," _she retorted with a bigger grin. "Because I'm not sure that you could _handle _it right now."

"Hah! We'll see," said Adrien. After a moment, his face softened and he added, "You're so right, by the way. We _are_ going to have so much fun like this."

"I sure hope so."

"You're sure that you've got no regrets about us... holding back?" Adrien asked in a soft voice, watching her face carefully.

_I do,_ Marinette thought. _Of course I do. You're offering me what I've dreamed about all this time - you. All of you. Giving me your heart to take care of, in exchange for mine. The heart of mine that I've been trying to give you all year._

_And looking at your face right now... I don't even have to ask if you do, too. Oh, God, you WANT this just like I do!_

_But..._

"I know that we're doing the right thing," she smiled.

_Which is as much of answer to that as I can give right now, _thought Marinette, holding her smile.

* * *

A short time later, Marinette took two steps into the cafeteria and burst into giggles. Her usual table had one seat obviously reserved for her, with five young women mentally willing her to fill it _this instant _and explain just what in the world had just happened.

"Hello, everyone. I suppose that you're wondering..." she began.

"What color our bridesmaids' dresses should be? Yes! That is absolutely vital information so we can get started," Alya blurted, drawing laughter from all.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but..." smiled Marinette. "Before I get married, I would probably want to have a romantic relationship first. And maybe, I don't know, start by being old enough?"

"But..." Mylène jumped in, "We all saw what we thought we saw this morning, didn't we?"

"And what was that?" asked Marinette.

"That would be you and Adrien... making a stylishly late entrance together... with the emphasis on _togethe__r!_" cooed Rose. "Looking so perfect as a couple. Holding hands, even!"

"Wait. Were we?" Marinette puzzled, thinking back.

"Okay. We can stop _right__ there,"_ proclaimed Alya. "Marinette, if Adrien brushed against your hand accidentally, that used to send you on a three-day bender. And now he was holding your hand _right there in front of all of us_ and you didn't even _notice?_"

"If he's not falling for you, I'm going blind," agreed Juleka. "So what is going _on_, then?"

Marinette took a deep breath. "Juleka... don't make too much of this..."

Five girls caught their breath as Marinette continued, "...but you're not going _completely_ blind."

* * *

Jaws went slack around the table as Marinette relayed her story, from the aikido lesson and the couch upstairs to the phone conversations and the morning's walk-and-talk. Alix kept some food moving between her plate and mouth as she listened, but the others were transfixed, peppering her with questions as she spoke.

"I just don't understand," Rose murmured as Marinette wound down her tale. "Marinette... you've been wanting him... you've been _needing him_ all year long. And now he's yours for the asking..."

"And you're not going to _ASK HIM_?" blurted Mylène, flabbergasted.

"I don't think that I should! Not now," declared Marinette. "If I make a move, I'll hurt Kagami, and that'll hurt him. If he makes a move, he'll hurt Kagami, and that'll hurt him, and that'll hurt _me_. And everything with Adrien is going _so well_ right now that I don't want to rock the boat..."

"Kagami, schalami," Alix noted, dryly. "You've _got him_ but you don't want to fight for him."

Marinette looked a little hurt by that, but nodded. "That's right; I _don't_ want a fight. If Adrien and I are meant to be, it'll happen. But I'm not going to break up a couple, _and_ maybe both of our friendships with her to do it!"

She looked around the table and saw uncertainty. "Rose... what would you think if I decided that _you_ were whom I wanted all along, and I pursued you even though I knew about Juleka?"

"I'd... um... have you grow your hair out? That's more my type," Rose smiled in Juleka's direction, but grew more serious as she turned back to Marinette. "And I'd ask you to stop."

"Exactly. Right now I've _got_ Adrien; everything but the kissing. And I-"

_"Want that," _quipped Alya. "Trust me. You've got to try it; you'll like it. And that might make all the difference for you two."

"Annnnd those lips are spoken for right now. And I am _all right with that,_" insisted Marinette.

"Are you _sure?_" asked Juleka. "Turn around slowly before you answer."

Marinette turned around... and saw Adrien gazing in her direction, evidently conducting as thorough a study of the back of her head as she had of his. She shot him a warm smile; realizing he'd been caught, Adrien gave her a little wave before turning around.

Turning back to her table, Marinette told herself, "I'm sure," loud enough for her friends to hear it as well.

* * *

As the school day ended, Marinette headed for the front door as usual. Adrien and Nino fell into step with her and Alya, and the four of them discussed their day out on the front steps.

About five minutes later, the Agreste sedan pulled up to the curb. Adrien's face lit up with anticipation.

"Hey, Marinette? I have that thing I was telling you about in the car. C'mon!" he told her, and with that the two of them were off and running together.

"Hmmph! No more pulling her by the hand," marveled Alya. "She's side-by-side with him, and she's loving it." She turned to Nino with a questioning look.

"Hey, I'm just as surprised," Nino told her. "Not that they like each other; we've known that for months. That the light switch flipped and now they're so _comfortable_ together, I mean. Right when he was getting hot with Kagami, too."

"Think she can pry him away?" asked Alya.

"Do you think that she wants to?" wondered Nino. "Don't give me that look. You told me what she told you; she's thrilled just being super close friends with him for now, and she doesn't want to bust up him and Kagami."

"I know. She's being very consistent, saying that," Alya agreed. "But it can't be all that she wants."

"Babe?" Nino asked, very cautiously. "You're going to let them figure it out, right?"

"Yeah. I am," sighed Alya. "But I can still worry that it won't go how it ought to."

* * *

Down at the car, Adrien headed right for the back seat. Marinette gave the Gorilla a warm smile and a wave, getting a smile and nod from him in return. Nathalie appeared to be in the passenger seat, but had her head down, likely buried in her tablet.

Emerging once more, Adrien pulled out a brown bag and handed it to Marinette. "This should be everything you need. Just hook it to your TV, plug it in and flip the switch on the back. The controllers should connect automatically, the Select button is Insert Coin for arcade games... it's all menu-driven."

"I got it. If I have questions, I'll ping you," she replied. "This is so cool! I promise to show Kagami a great time tomorrow."

"Of that I have no doubt."

Adrien stood still, his hands tucked behind him, grinning at her.

"We're still on for Thursday, right?" he asked, eagerly. "I've got a couple of new techniques picked out for us to work on."

"Of course we are, Adrien. I'm up for whatever you'd like to teach me," smiled Marinette.

"Careful what you wish for," he grinned.

"Stop," Marinette laughed. "Or I'll start wishing again."

"I know, I know," Adrien said, a little sheepishly. "Text me tonight?"

"Sure, I'd like that," she replied.

A small cough from inside the car indicated that Nathalie was beginning to feel restless.

"Okay! I'll, um... see you tomorrow?" asked Adrien.

"Of course you will. Have a good night, Adrien," Marinette beamed.

"You too."

He came to a rapid decision... then leaned forward.

* * *

Marinette caught her breath. _He's giving me a cheek kiss? We don't usually do la bise... but maybe now that we've broken the ice, he-_

Her eyes flew open wide when two soft lips made full contact with her cheek. It was quick, it was gentle, and it was simple. And it was all Marinette could do to remain standing.

"H-hey!" gasped Marinette. "I thought we were... you know, saving that!"

"Come on, that one doesn't count!" shrugged Adrien, smiling devilishly. "That was just how good friends do that, I hear. Like a certain cheek kiss at a picnic."

"You..." Marinette began, then trailed off, burning inside. "Fair enough," she smiled. "I'll text you later."

Marinette stood and watched the car pull away, Adrien watching her until it rounded the corner... then remained still, processing the fact that her cheek still felt like it was on fire.

Looking up at the school, she saw Alya and Nino staring at her, clearly having seen Adrien's kiss. She wondered how to explain that to them...

...then shrugged, exaggerated to the point that they could see the gesture from a distance, and headed for her house with a wave in their direction.

"Nino?" asked Alya. "Did life used to make sense?"

"I think so," he replied, quietly.

* * *

_Damn him anyway,_ Marinette grinned to herself much later that night, stretched out in her pajamas. _Now all I can think about is what that kiss felt like!_

_And it felt gooood._

She smiled to herself as she picked up her phone. _I know that if Adrien and I are going to stay in this state... where we're dancing right on the edge, but refusing to go over it... he'll flirt and play just as hard as I will. Maybe harder. He will NOT make it easy to resist._

_And I don't WANT to resist! Not entirely!_

_But for now... it's the best thing for all three of us. Adrien and I are so... entranced with each other right now because this is all so new to us. We'll settle into this and be the best of friends... and if things grow from there, they'll happen naturally._

_If my will is strong enough to wait. _

_It had better be._

She sent a text:

**[Marinette] ****Hey. How's it going?**

The response came quickly:

**[Adrien] Pretty good. Getting ready for bed. How'd the game system work out?**

**[Marinette] It's amazing! I put it on our living room TV and my dad and I played it half the night.**

**[Marinette] So many games on it that are older than I am!**

**[Adrien] Older than us combined.**

**[Marinette] Where did you get that gadget, again?**

**[Adrien] A place online sells them pre-assembled. Max helped me with some of the ROM images for it.**

**[Marinette] Cool! I'll have to ask him about that.**

**[Adrien] You can borrow that one as long as you like.**

**[Marinette] You're sure?**

**[Adrien] Sure, I'm sure.**

**[Marinette] We'll see. It IS a lot of fun. It'll be perfect for Kagami's visit.**

**[Adrien] So... what else are you up to?**

Marinette thought for a moment before replying.

**[Marinette] Also getting ready for bed. Feeling tingly!**

**[Marinette] A handsome boy kissed me today.**

**[Adrien] Oh? Who was it?**

**[Marinette] *raspberry emoji***

**[Adrien] ...Should he do it again?**

**[Marinette] I won't say that I didn't like it.**

**[Marinette] Just remember... there are little playful, friendly kisses and then there are KISSES.**

**[Marinette] The second kind, you'll want to be careful with.**

**[Adrien] Oh, I know. Can I admit something?**

**[Adrien] You're only the third girl I've ever kissed. I don't just throw them around.**

**[Marinette] And you're only the third boy I have.**

**[Marinette] ...Wait. There's me, there's Kagami. Who was the third one?**

**[Adrien] ...**

**[Adrien] Who were the other two boys?**

**[Marinette] Um...**

**[Marinette] Maybe we can both not answer that yet.**

**[Adrien] Agreed. :)**

* * *

A gentle knock at the door broke Marinette's concentration. "Come in!" she called.

The door opened, and she saw her mother enter in a simple nightgown.

"Would you please tell your father to go to bed?" Sabine grumbled. "He's still down there playing games."

"Still?" boggled Marinette. "At this time of night?"

"I've tried to pry him away three times now. But he keeps saying things like 'I'm on _Level 39, _I've never gotten this far before' and 'I haven't played this one in _years_' and 'Just five more minutes, this one doesn't pause.' You speak game language better than I do," sighed Sabine.

"No problem," giggled Marinette. "I'll go check on him in a minute, so that the bakery can actually open tomorrow."

"Thank you," smiled Sabine. "Talking to your honey?"

"...Texting him," Marinette blushed, "and he's not 'mine,' necessarily... not like that."

"Not yet," Sabine grinned as she left.

* * *

Marinette returned to her phone...

**[Marinette] I have to go. Apparently my father won't stop playing your game system. Mom just handed me a crowbar.**

**[Adrien] I can't say that I've never been hooked like that.**

**[Adrien] I'll leave you to it, then.**

**[Marinette] Sweet dreams!**

**[Adrien] You know it. You, too.**

She laid back on her pillow for a moment, sighing with a heartfelt smile, before climbing down to go and restore domestic tranquility.

* * *

Next time:

* Lesson Three begins properly.

* A crash course in crashing.

* "...I _do_ remember you."

* "It's amazing what you can find on YouTube."

* "She'd better be worth it."

And more!


	7. Chapter 7

Throw Me Around Like One of Your French Girls, Chapter 7

* * *

Marinette padded down the stairs quietly, and approached her father in the living room. He barely noticed her arrival, engrossed as he was in destroying an incoming armada of pixelated killer space turnips on his TV screen.

"Ahem," she coughed, quietly.

"Oh! Hello, Marinette," Tom called, allowing himself a quick peek over his shoulder before focusing on dodging radish torpedoes again. "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

"More like, Mama sent me down because _you_ couldn't stay away," smiled Marinette. "And it's a school night. And you get up _when_ to head down to the bakery?"

"Around four. Why, what is it now? Ten? Eleven?" asked Tom.

"A little after twelve, actually."

"Agggh!"

Startled into momentary inaction, Tom watched as his flagship took a direct hit from the dreaded vegetable fleet.

"Oh, dear," he murmured, gesturing at the screen for Marinette's benefit. "I do need to get some sleep... but look what _level_ I'm on!"

"I'm about to say two words that are going to change your life, Dad. _Save State_. Hit the Start button," she directed him.

He obeyed, pausing the game.

"Now scroll down in the menu... not there, over there... yeah, that one. Click that."

When he did, a set of numbered slots appeared on the menu on the screen.

"Pick one of those, and it'll 'freeze' your game in place. You can come back to it another time from exactly where you left it," smiled Marinette. "That way, the shop can actually open tomorrow."

"Huh!" marveled Tom. "It'll pick up from the same level?"

"From the very _second_ that you paused it. Trust me," Marinette assured him. "I'll help you load it back up tomorrow, when you're ready."

"If your mother lets me, you mean," Tom grinned, sheepishly. "You're a lifesaver, Marinette."

She padded back up the stairs with a smile, calling back to him, "I have my moments."

* * *

Around two-thirty, Plagg floated over by Adrien's bed to confirm his suspicions about his young friend.

"Hi," a wide-awake Adrien said, very quietly.

"The ol' brain won't shut down, huh?" mused Plagg.

"That's one way to put it," agreed Adrien. "I'm just... _fried_ inside right now."

"Talk it out, then," Plagg offered. "What's got you so worked up? I mean, I know _who_ does."

"I missed it."

* * *

Adrien's voice was flat, with a bit of pain behind it.

"Marinette was right there next to me, all this time. She was into me, and she and I could've been... so many things... and I flat-out _missed it,"_ he repeated. "How could I have been so _stupid?"_

"You really want an honest answer to that?" asked Plagg.

Adrien stared at him, cautiously... then nodded.

"Okay. Part one; you're a teenage boy. It comes with the territory," Plagg shrugged. "When you fall in love, you lock on like a heat-seeking missile, and nothing and nobody can distract you from that. I've seen it so many times; it's kind of natural. And you had a pretty target in your sights all that time, with spots all over her costume."

"That's fair," said Adrien. "But with Ladybug, at least it was more... straightforward? I asked her out; she said 'no.' I told her how I felt; she said that there was someone else. I kept asking; she kept saying 'no.' And that hurt... but it was understandable. Hearing what I've heard from Marinette these last two days, though..."

He looked up at Plagg with helpless eyes. "Marinette _didn't_ say 'no.' She said, 'It _would've_ been yes. Yes, yes, a million times yes! But _now_, it's not.' And that... God, Plagg, that hurts a hundred times worse. Knowing that something wonderful had been _that close_ if I'd just opened my eyes."

"Yeah... that _would_ crash your system," mused Plagg. "Especially since it's never happened to you before."

The Kwami appeared deep in thought... or as close to that state as he ever seemed to get. "Part two is that you're _both_ new to this, and neither one of you knows what to do about it. Marinette's been into you for a long time..."

"You _knew?"_ Adrien interrupted, somewhere in between accusation and astonishment.

"Of course I did. I watched her, and it was obvious to me," Plagg replied.

"You didn't tell me."

"Not my secret to tell; it was hers," countered Plagg. "But she couldn't just tell you."

"Why not?" mumbled Adrien. "That's what I don't get. I mean, I told Ladybug... I've told her several times... even when I knew I was going to get shot down, that it was going to hurt. I thought that I sensed something from Marinette _twice,_ and I asked her, face to face... and she told me just the opposite. She tried to explain herself this morning, but... I don't know, I just don't understand it completely."

"Everybody deals with stress and emotions their own way. Everybody has something that they're terrified of," argued Plagg. "The first time that you asked Ladybug, the night with the dinner and the rose and the ice-cream monster and all that... you remember what you felt like inside, when you didn't _know_ how she'd react?"

"Yeah. It was like having a car battery attached to my brain," Adrien recalled.

"Big upside if she said 'yes.' Huge nosedive if she said 'no.' An all-or-nothing gamble," Plagg continued. "Well... some people are so afraid of the 'no,' so sure that it'll happen that it psyches 'em out and they can't think straight. Can't talk like a human being. Like, telling somebody that they'll take a coleslaw home from the park, or panicking and calling themselves 'just really into fashion.' Or turning into mud when you mention 'the girl that you love' to her in a car."

Adrien absorbed that, thinking about the encounters Plagg had mentioned in something of a new light.

"And if I had to put money on it... she's lying in _her_ bed right now, staring at _her_ ceiling," said Plagg. _And talking to HER Kwami, but I ain't mentioning that part, _he grinned to himself.

"So... in the meantime..." ventured Adrien, looking for instructions.

"So, what you need to do for now is to think about where you _are_, not where you could have been," Plagg insisted. "You've got a gorgeous girl who's crazy about you, and now she feels like she's the best friend that you've always wanted her to be. You've got another gorgeous girl who's been smooching you and making your hair stand on end. Kid... you're in a _good_ spot right now. You know how many high school boys would _kill_ for any girl to look at them like those two look at you?"

"Um..." Adrien blinked. "All my friends are kind of paired off already, if they want to be..."

"Trust me, that's not usually how it works," replied Plagg. "_And_ your two admirers are friends! They're not trying to scratch each other's eyes out."

"Which is good," agreed Adrien. "I don't know _how_ I would handle that."

"So don't let it happen. Don't get either one of them too worked up yet," advised Plagg. "Marinette is fine just being close like this, she said, so be close. Don't try to solve this whole thing all at once."

"And when I look into those deep blue eyes again, and I hear that conversation from this morning in my head?" Adrien sighed. "How if I kissed her, she would kiss me back, with everything she had behind it?"

Plagg chuckled as he floated back to the computer desk. _"That," _he smiled, "is entirely up to _you_. Now get some sleep, already."

* * *

Adrien stared into his bathroom mirror the next morning... doing his best to give himself his day's marching orders.

"You are going to _play it cool_," he told his reflection.

His reflection stared back at him, returning his nervous smile.

"Yes, Marinette is amazing. Yes, you kissed her on the cheek yesterday. And yes, she told you that she liked it," he insisted, with which Mirror Adrien seemed to agree.

"But she doesn't want to be my girlfriend right now. Not as long as Kagami is... almost that. And she doesn't want Kagami to be hurt... and neither do I," Adrien told himself. "Marinette wants to be my best friend as long as that's real. And she's _so_ good at it. And I want so much more of that."

"...I want so much more, _period,"_ he admitted.

"But I am _going_ to be fair to Kagami. _She _is the one I'm dating, I'm kissing, I'm romancing... and she has done nothing wrong, and so much right! And it's not just about fairness... I _really_ do like what I have with Kagami so far," insisted Adrien. "If it wasn't Marinette on the other side of this... it wouldn't even be a contest."

"...But it _is_."

Adrien shook his willpower back into existence. "But it _isn't_. Because Marinette doesn't want it to be... so, neither do I," he ordered Mirror Adrien. "So you are _going to play it cool_. You are going to be charming, flirty and funny with her... but you are not going to make her uncomfortable. You are not going to push her to be more to you than she wants to be for now. And you are not going to kiss her again."

"...Not the way that you want to."

He could swear that Mirror Adrien said, "And not the way that _she_ really wants you to," but the reflection's lips didn't appear to move.

* * *

A small, dark-haired blur darted around the Dupain-Cheng home that morning. Sabine did her best not to get caught up in the slipstream.

"Is everything all right, dear?" she asked her fast-moving daughter. "I think you have plenty of time yet."

"I know," Marinette called, "but I was late yesterday and I don't want to do that again so soon."

"Or at all," countered Sabine. Marinette shot her a look, after which Sabine conceded, "I know, I know. You'll do your best."

"Yesterday was a... _very_ big conversation. Ms. Bustier was understanding... but I'm not expecting another one quite like that today." Marinette looked thoughtful. "I kind of hope not. If he says the kinds of things to me that he did yesterday, I only have so much willpower."

"And you will do your best there as well, I'm sure."

"See you later, Mom," grinned Marinette as she headed for the stairs.

* * *

Down in the bakery, a head-tilt from her father was all she needed to know that she had company once again. She kissed her father on the cheek, then made for the front door.

"Well, hello," Marinette told the waiting Adrien. "Losing your sense of direction? School's the other way."

"Oh, I know that," Adrien smirked. "But I had an idea that someone might appreciate some morning company, so..."

"I wasn't demanding it... but I'll never complain," beamed Marinette, as the two walked side-by-side towards the school steps. "Sleep well?"

"Ummm... is it that obvious?" worried Adrien, wondering just how sunken his eyes looked.

"No, it isn't... but was something wrong?" Marinette worried back.

"I don't know. Just things on my mind, I guess. Did you get my game system away from your father last night so that _he_ could sleep?" deflected Adrien.

"Uh-huh. It's up in my room now, by my mother's orders. He's allowed to visit it during certain hours," Marinette giggled. "Plus, that'll work better for when Kagami comes over."

"I am very glad that the two of you are staying close," Adrien smiled. "She really likes you, you know."

"And I really like her," agreed Marinette.

"What... are you going to tell her about yesterday?" asked Adrien, after a moment's hesitation.

"The truth?" Marinette shrugged. "I don't think either of us has anything to hide, do we? We've gotten closer... but not _that_ way. Nothing that should threaten you two."

"That's true. This is all kind of delicate... but I think that we're doing it right," Adrien said. "Anything that you're going to ask her about _me_?"

Marinette shot him a grin.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?"

* * *

The morning's classes began on time, and without incident. Conversation was light between the usual circles of friends until lessons began, and all seemed well... but Alya caught her thoughts wandering, watching the transformation in her close friend.

_I'm amazed,_ thought Alya. _Even just a week or two ago, Adrien still gave her the jitters. And now look at them! He's walking her to school and back, he turns around to talk with her every time there's a break, and she gives as good as she gets in their banter. She's perfectly at ease around him now._

_He's into her, so much! It's obvious. It's all she's ever wanted. _

_And she just won't TAKE it._

Alya did her best to focus on the literature lesson, but it just wasn't meant to be.

_It's not that I don't like Kagami. I do. Or at least I'm trying to,_ Alya mused. _I don't know her very well. Marinette likes her, and obviously Adrien really likes her; I saw her and Adrien all snuggled up together, and Marinette says that they've gotten even closer than that since. _

_When I've talked with her, she's seemed nice on the surface. I haven't had much of a chance to get to know her; she doesn't go to this school, and she's kind of wrapped up in a schedule the way that Adrien is, from what Marinette's said. She's not part of our group yet. I don't know if she ever will be._

_And, yeah, I'm kind of prejudiced here. Marinette wanted that boy SO badly, she tried so hard, and Kagami just swooped in and got him. It doesn't seem entirely fair. Even if their parents did kind of push them together... _

She stole a glance at Marinette, who smiled before focusing again on their teacher.

_Marinette speaks well of Kagami, and if she is going to be snuggly with Adrien, we will be seeing more of her. And if Marinette is happy just being close friends with Adrien..._

_...and I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND how she's DEALING with that..._

Alya let out a very quiet sigh.

_Marinette had better be right about Kagami. She'd better be worth it,_ she thought.

* * *

At the end of the day, the students gathered out front as usual. When the Agreste sedan pulled up, Adrien said his goodbyes quickly to all around. He glanced at Marinette, who smiled back; she headed down the steps beside him, mouthing _I'll be back!_ up at Alya and Nino.

Down at the car, the Gorilla gave Marinette a smile. Nathalie had stepped out of the passenger side, and looked less welcoming. "Adrien..." she directed, "we are in more of a rush today. So if you could make with less of..."

"I know, I know," moaned Adrien, then turning to Marinette. "I need to run. Let me know how it goes, okay?"

"I'll take good care of her. I promise," Marinette beamed. She reached out and squeezed his hand gently. "Go... and have fun with whatever they're running you through today, and at your dinner tonight. We will, too."

She headed back up the stairs, watching the car and its precious occupant rather than where she was going; Adrien winced as she nearly collided with someone walking down.

"I see that your young friend still finds you quite distracting," noted Nathalie as she returned to the passenger seat.

"The feeling remains mutual," Adrien replied as the car pulled away from the curb.

"The new understanding between you two that you spoke of yesterday... that remains in place?" Nathalie ventured.

"It does," confirmed Adrien. "She is very insistent that I give Kagami every chance. You might be interested that Kagami's visiting her house today."

"Yes... you had mentioned that," smiled Nathalie. "_They_ have reached a state of equilibrium, as well?"

"It sounds like it. Marinette talked with her about the two of us before she, well... talked with me about the two of us," allowed Adrien, sheepishly. "And from what Kagami has said to me, she thinks quite a bit of both Marinette and that particular gesture."

"Good. Less chance of fireworks means she'll remain a welcome guest." At Adrien's questioning face, Nathalie continued, "Well, I am assuming that your martial arts lessons are continuing, yes? And if your friendship is deepening, she'll surely want to come and visit on more social occasions."

"Yes, and yes... if that's okay," said Adrien, not sure quite where that train of thought was leading.

"Adrien... as I told you the other day, I am not opposed to Marinette being around you. Quite the opposite, actually; I think that she could be quite a healthy presence in your life. _If_, of course... her being there does not throw your relationship with Kagami or your other responsibilities out of balance." Nathalie gave him a serious look. "And, so far, the two of you seem to be balancing that well."

"We're certainly trying. You'll see her again on Thursday," Adrien replied.

"Good."

* * *

Marinette hustled back up the stairs to say a proper goodbye to Alya.

"So today's the day you've got company?" Alya asked, once Marinette had caught her breath.

"Yeah, Kagami's coming over to hang out. If you want to do something tomorrow, I'm free then. Then more aikido with Adrien on Thursday," confirmed Marinette.

Alya shook her head slowly, but with a smile. Holding up her thumb and forefinger a short distance apart, she insisted, "You and Adrien are _this close_."

"And that's where I'm trying to stay. _That_ close to him," Marinette smiled back. "You are not going to win this debate, I assure you. I'm not going to jump on him... except in my gi."

"Whatever turns him on," quipped Alya.

"You know what I mean!" Marinette grimaced, with a grudging laugh. "I want Kagami to remain my friend if I end up dating Adrien. That means being _their_ good friend while they're dating."

"I get it, I get it," Alya conceded. "Go and hang with Kagami, then. I'll see you tomorrow."

As Marinette left with a wave, Nino nudged Alya gently. "Told you," he said.

"Yeah. She's too good a person to just go for what she wants," admired Alya. "One of the many reasons I like her... despite my best efforts to corrupt her."

"You could always see if Ladybug can help," Nino suggested, seemingly innocently. "Have her lock them together in a zoo cage. See what that leads to."

"Do _you_ want more of what that leads to?" Alya challenged him.

"You know it."

"Then go easy on the 'I told you so's," she grinned.

* * *

About an hour later, an unfamiliar car pulled up to the curb near the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie, and a well-dressed young woman stepped out.

"Hello, Kagami," Sabine greeted her as she entered the bakery. "Marinette was just here a minute ago..."

Loud thumps were heard, as Marinette took the stairs down two at a time. "Here I am," she smiled, catching her breath. "I went up to my room at just the wrong moment. Hi, Kagami!"

After a quick hug of greeting, they headed upwards together. "I can't stay very long, but I wanted to at least see you," Kagami noted. "It's been a little while."

"That's right, you have company tonight, so you'll want to get back for that!" Marinette grinned. "Rather handsome company. I hope that you all have a good time."

Halfway up the next flight of stairs, Kagami paused. "...That's it?" she asked, with a smile.

"That's what?" asked Marinette.

"I, um... I expected you to have more questions about that, given our... situation," Kagami ventured, carefully.

"Kagami... I am _full _of questions. They're trying to burst out of me, but I am _not_ going to bug you today," replied Marinette. "I didn't invite you over today to pick your brain. I don't want everything between us to be measured in Adriens, right?"

Kagami processed that... then flashed a genuine smile.

"You're absolutely right. I believe you have a tour of the gaming kingdom awaiting me?" she beamed.

"Uh-huh!" grinned Marinette, as they reached the top floor.

* * *

Over the next hour, Marinette and Kagami waded through a variety of videogame genres, both on Adrien's borrowed console and on Marinette's own systems. Kagami found herself intrigued by the RPGs; "I could see myself getting lost in one of these, with the right kind of story behind it," she noted, "if I would only have that kind of time to play it!" She was somewhat humbled by space shoot-em-ups, curious about many of the older arcade games, and quickly competitive at some of the head-to-head puzzle games once she divined the strategy involved in each.

Their conversation glided between a variety of light topics, both gaming-related and more personal... but, true to her word, Marinette guided it away from matters of the heart.

"All right," a determined Kagami declared, scrolling through the menu. "What's this one here?"

Marinette saw BAKA FIGHTER VII highlighted by the menu cursor. "Oh, that? That's a fighting game. A rather silly one... but I've played it before, and it's fun."

"Fighting games? Hand-to-hand combat, you say?" asked Kagami, her curiosity rising.

"Oh, yes. There are hundreds of them, from the realistic to the ridiculous. Like, this one that you picked out is definitely cartoony..."

Marinette watched Kagami's bemused expression as she scrolled through some of the selectable characters in Baka Fighter. "Ivan, the Radioactive Toaster! Flossie, the Death Sheep! Timmy, the Human Outboard Motor!" Marinette called off, in turn. "You pick one, and then you move around like this, with punches and kicks... and there are hidden special moves..."

Kagami walked through the motions of some rudimentary combos, with Marinette's assistance. Before long, her death sheep was gnawing on the innards of Rudy, the Guidance Counselor and Dante, The Guy Who's Not Even Supposed To Be Here Today.

"Interesting... but..." Kagami noted, with mixed emotions.

"That's one extreme; it's more about the wackiness than anything else. There are other games that are very technical in nature, designed with far greater realism in mind."

Marinette scrolled down to BUSHIDO ARENA: TURBO EDITION as an example. "Like, this is one that I'm not very good at, because I haven't put in the time yet to master it," she mentioned. "But you can select characters who are experts at various martial arts and adept with weapons. Sais, polearms, kendo sticks, all kinds of swords..."

She smiled, watching Kagami's eyes light up with intense interest. "That's why I saved this one for last," she grinned. "Because once you saw it, I didn't think that we'd get to anything else today."

* * *

The next fifteen minutes were tense, and Kagami's brow was furrowed in concentration.

Finally, at the end of a spirited round of combat, she pushed the controller away from her. "Take this thing _away _from me," she declared.

"You don't like it?" wondered Marinette, not really believing that.

"If I do not put this game down now, they will find my skeleton here in a few years," marveled Kagami. "This is _wonderful! _I mean... obviously, the skills from real life do not transfer over one-to-one... but the amount of work and research that went into this is obvious. There are many subtleties to it that I am amazed are there!"

She looked over at Marinette with a huge grin. "You know," she continued, "now I will be going to my mother and saying 'I would like an XStation 540 and Bushido Arena for my birthday.' And she will look at me as if I have _lost my mind! _And I will have you to blame for this."

"Corrupting the innocent. That's me," laughed Marinette. "Maybe two copies. I don't know if Adrien has this on his XStation or not... but it has an online mode. If you each have it, you could play against each other, or me, without any of us leaving the house."

"That would be... amazing!" Kagami exclaimed. "With our schedules, it's so hard to sneak in visits like this... but if we all have one, we could sneak in a couple of rounds just about any time."

"That's the idea!" Marinette beamed.

"And _speaking of_ fighting and Adrien..." segued Kagami, "how is your aikido training going?"

"Actually... very well, I think," replied Marinette. "I mean, I hesitate to call it 'training,' and so would he... I'm just learning the very basics. But Adrien is being very patient with me, and I'm learning quite a bit."

"Would you like to show me? If you're comfortable with that, that is," asked Kagami. "My primary arts are fencing and kendo, of course... but I am a blue belt in karate. Mother insisted that I know what to do if I was ever caught without a weapon."

"Y-yeah, I could show you some of what he's taught me. Maybe not here," considered Marinette. "Come on up to my balcony with me! There's more room there and less chance of knocking anything over."

The girls climbed the ladder to Marinette's bed, then up and out through the hatch.

* * *

Once they'd moved the lounge chairs to the side, Marinette and Kagami faced each other, casually.

"Now, let me make myself clear. We are not about to _fight_ in any way, and I don't want to lay a hand on you," stressed Kagami. "I just want to demonstrate some of the _kihon_ and _kata_ \- fundamentals and forms - of my school, and I would love to see what you're learning."

"Good," laughed Marinette. "Because you would cream me if I tried it for real."

"Well, yes," smiled Kagami. "I've been studying karate for a year, and you've had, what, two lessons? So we'll go slow and easy. Neither of us is dressed for the occasion, anyway."

"That's just what Adrien says - slow speeds first, to protect each other. Show me your moves first?" said Marinette.

She watched as Kagami went into motion, starting with simple stances and strike and block motions, then stringing them together into more elegant connected sequences.

"The _kihon _are the basic building blocks, the motions that everything else are made of," Kagami explained. "The _kata_ are forms; they link those motions together in set patterns. They help you flow one movement into another naturally, without having to stop and think about what comes next. In a real fight, you can't hit the Pause button."

"Oh, I know all about you and not hesitating," teased Marinette.

Mentally, Marinette took notes. _Interesting... karate is much more strike-oriented than the aikido I'm learning. More straight-ahead, delivery of force rather than deflection of force, though there are defensive elements as well. Yet there is balance to it; each move has a purpose and a strategy. It's not just aggression. _

"Very nice," Marinette applauded when Kagami stopped to take a breath.

"Your turn?" prompted Kagami.

"Actually... I could use your help with mine," asked Marinette. "When you're ready. Adrien hasn't actually taught me any strikes yet; it's more about what to do when someone comes at me, so... come at me. _Slowly! _I'll direct you as to how."

Dutifully, Kagami stood in front of Marinette. She reached out and grabbed Marinette's arm, as requested, and allowed Marinette to direct her through the motions of _ikkyo_ and lower her gently to the balcony floor.

"First technique," said Marinette. "We actually learned falling and tumbling first, but on this hardwood floor, I don't really want to show that off here."

"Agreed," smiled Kagami. "That could leave some bruises."

In slow motion, Marinette walked Kagami through a couple of other techniques that she and Adrien had practiced, stopping short of actually throwing her friend around but demonstrating how she could have if she'd followed through.

"You are very well suited for this art, Marinette," Kagami admired. "You have a fire within you, but you also have more compassion than anyone else I've known. Disabling people without hurting them fits you perfectly."

"Thank you," smiled Marinette. "That is precisely what I'd asked to learn."

"Has Adrien said when you're going to be starting sparring?" asked Kagami.

"You mean... actually _fighting?"_ Marinette wondered. "Not any time soon, I think. From what I've read about it, freestyle practice comes much later, and it's often as a group."

"Want to try a little, just for fun? _Kumite _is one of my favorite parts of karate," Kagami suggested. "I will stop short of actually hitting you, I promise; no force behind _anything!_ But when you know what's coming at you is one thing. What do you do when you don't?"

"Soft and gentle, okay?" asked Marinette, nervously. "I am _very_ new at this."

"I promise."

"All right, then," Marinette smiled, assuming a defensive stance. "Do your worst."

* * *

Watching Kagami circle around her, Marinette had a strange thrill run through her. She knew that she was in no danger... but Kagami's sly smile, the knowledge that she was readying herself to strike - even harmlessly - and the deliberate pace of Kagami's movement kicked her analytical brain into overdrive. It was like figuring out the use for a Lucky Charm... without the Charm in hand. She _was_ the Charm. How could she use... _herself_ and what training she'd had to defend herself?

"Hai!" Kagami barked, lunging forward. A step one way, which was a feint, then another, and Kagami's fingers tapped Marinette's stomach lightly before she could react.

"Heh! That tickled," Marinette smiled, flinching slightly. "Do that one again."

"I will... at some point," smiled Kagami, enigmatically.

Kagami came in with a different approach the second time. When she reached out, Marinette grabbed at her arm, going for a rotational wristlock; Kagami pulled away in time, but only barely.

"Oh, that was _close!"_ Kagami admired. "I thought that you told me that you were clumsy?"

"Usually, I am," parried Marinette, surprised that it had nearly worked. "You've _seen_ that about me."

_I'm not... when I'm Ladybug. But that's when I have my costume and its magic enhancing me, _she thought. _But I'm not Ladybug now..._

_...and, yet, I don't feel nervous. I feel strangely confident... kind of like when I'm staring down an Akuma and figuring out how to take it down_, she smiled to herself.

_I wonder why that is?_

Seeing Marinette's smile, Kagami considered her next movement. "See if you can stop _this_ one," she warned Marinette, then struck...

...or at least she tried.

* * *

Kagami's eyes were wide open... with an excellent view of the floor, which appeared to be mere millimeters away. A firm hand gripped her collar, holding Kagami steady; her legs shot straight out behind her. A forearm or a knee - she couldn't tell which - applied gentle pressure to her back, having guided her into this position, and her brain was _reeling_.

"What did you just do?" she gasped.

"What did I just _do_?" echoed Marinette, at nearly the same time.

Extremely startled, she relieved the pressure on Kagami immediately and helped her to her feet.

Each girl tried to reconstruct the previous seconds. Kagami had lunged forward, trying to tap Marinette on the shoulder, but Marinette had dodged it smoothly, rotating out of the way. Kagami had followed through, trying with the other hand... and, impossibly, Marinette not only dodged but rotated _perfectly_ to counter her. Reflexively, Kagami tried to continue her motion and somersault forward, but she felt strong hands grip her clothing - one, then both - and then her body was in motion. She'd cut short a yelp of fear, expecting to taste the floorboards momentarily... but she didn't.

Standing upright once more, Kagami sized her friend up. "You've trained before," she accused Marinette. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't... I've never...!" gasped Marinette.

"_That_ wasn't anything that Adrien could've taught you so soon. The throw at the end... yes, that I can see, an adaptation of a rotary throw, and you'd showed me that at super-slow speed. But the way that you dodged... how you executed that throw so _quickly! _And stopped it at the perfect moment!"

Kagami's expression softened as she watched Marinette's. It was obvious to her that Marinette wasn't lying; she was staring at her own hands as if they'd become strangers to her.

"I don't know where that came from. I really don't," shuddered Marinette. "I just... _reacted_ to what you did. I knew that you wouldn't hurt me, and I didn't want to hurt you."

"And you didn't," Kagami smiled. "You kept me safe with remarkable precision."

_Part of that was that she caught me completely off-guard_, reasoned Kagami. _That we were both moving at half-speed at first and I wasn't taking her seriously._

_But if I HAD been expecting that... I'm not sure if I could've countered it THEN._

"But... I..." murmured Marinette, still visibly unsettled.

* * *

The pair heard footsteps in the room below them. "Marinette! Kagami! Are you up there?" they heard Sabine call.

"Y-yes!" Marinette yelled back.

"Kagami, your ride has arrived. I thought you should know that," Sabine informed them.

"Hey," Kagami whispered, moving close to Marinette. "I am not mad. If anything, that was _awesome_," she grinned. "It just took... both of us by surprise."

"It sure did," Marinette whispered back.

"Listen to me. I need to go... but text me later tonight, okay? We can talk again, if you want to," suggested Kagami.

"I'd like that," smiled Marinette.

They shared another quick hug before descending.

* * *

Next time:

* "...I _do_ remember you."

* "It's amazing what you can find on YouTube."

* Lesson Four beckons; original teacher this time.

* "Just promise me that you'll describe the look on his face."

* "Do you want to keep doing this?"

And more!


	8. Chapter 8

Throw Me Around Like One Of Your French Girls, Chapter 8

* * *

Marinette and Kagami trotted down the stairs quickly, not wanting to keep Kagami's ride waiting overly long. Kagami said goodbye and thank you to Sabine on the way down, gave Tom a brief greeting and wave as they passed through the bakery, and emerged onto the sidewalk with Marinette right behind her.

"Tell him that I said 'hi,' and have fun tonight," Marinette told her. "As much as you two can."

"Honestly?" Kagami replied, "I don't really expect to get a lot of alone time with him. His father and my mother will each try to out-formal each other. It should be a quiet dinner among friends, but I know that it will become a huge production number."

"Well... good luck with that, I guess," Marinette sympathized. "Make an excuse and sneak off when you can."

"I plan to." With that, Kagami's smile returned. "Thank you so much for having me over. I had such a good time today."

"Any time!" grinned Marinette.

Kagami slid into the back of the sedan, which pulled away quickly. As Marinette reentered the bakery, her father gave her a smile in passing, being busy with a customer at the time.

Sabine ran into her on the stairs, going down as Marinette was going up. "Did everything go okay?" she asked her daughter, pleasantly.

"Yes, it did. I may turn her into a gamer yet, and she even asked to see some of what Adrien's been teaching me about aikido. She showed me some of her karate she's been learning, and it was interesting comparing the two," Marinette replied.

"You didn't hurt her too badly, did you? She didn't look bruised," her mother joked.

"Oh, hardly. She could've turned me inside-out if she'd wanted to. She's been studying a lot longer than I have," explained Marinette. "I'm, uh... going up to stretch out and relax until supper, okay?"

"Certainly. It'll be about another hour," said Sabine, returning to the bakery.

* * *

Upstairs, Marinette closed her bedroom door and allowed herself to look as surprised as she felt, now that she and Tikki were alone.

"Tikki... tell me that I didn't just _dream_ that," she murmured.

"You mean when you dodged Kagami's attack and threw her around like a sack of potatoes?" Tikki countered. "No, I'm pretty sure that I saw that, too."

"How in the world did I _do that?_" boggled Marinette. "Some of that resembled what I've been learning from Adrien... but we've never done it like _that! _And the way that I dodged her, instead of holding my ground and going for a throw or a wristlock!"

"Part of me was wondering if this was going to happen," mused Tikki. "Tell me... what was going through your mind at the time?"

Marinette described the odd calmness that had come over her as Kagami had circled around her. "The first couple of times that she came at me, I felt jittery, even though I knew for sure that she wouldn't hit me for real. Just trying to guess what Kagami would do, and where and how, and what to do in response... it was like trying to do trigonometry problems and play dodgeball at the same time. But that last time... I didn't feel like I was thinking about it much at all," she noted. "It felt automatic. Like I knew how she would move, and how to counter it, before she even got close to me."

"Let me ask you something," Tikki continued. "You've never had _any_ kind of combat training, right? You never had a teacher before Adrien."

Marinette shook her head, indicating no.

"And yet you've spent the last year-and-a-half as Ladybug ducking, dodging, punching, kicking and soaring around one battlefield after another. And it's _very rare_ that you get hit, and rarer still that someone tags you hard enough for it to hurt. Why do you think that is?"

"Well," considered Marinette, "I have my powers then. That makes a huge difference! As Ladybug, dodging attacks seems as natural as breathing."

"But it's still _you_ in the Ladybug suit, and you doing the fighting. When you get a Lucky Charm and you figure out what you should do with it, how to best use it, that's _not_ your powers; that's your mind kicking into high gear. And it's not the suit that makes you fight and jump and dodge; it enhances your strength and speed and agility, but you're still the one whose body is moving."

"So, then... how _am_ I doing that?" Marinette wondered, looking a bit startled by that realization. "By that logic, Ladybug should just be... _flopping around Paris_ at high speed. Without the costume, I'm a notorious klutz."

"Not entirely," Tikki argued. "Remember how you surprised Adrien with your reflexes, the day you tried out for the fencing team? It's when you're nervous that you can get wobbly."

"Still... keep going, please. How is this working?"

"Your brain just... kind of... adapts," mused Tikki. "It thinks, 'Okay, right now I have superhuman speed and agility. How can I use that to beat this villain?', and you just _do it. _You're not worried about _how_ you'll do it; you just trust yourself and it happens, and your mind and body do the rest. When Kagami came at you today, you _weren't_ Ladybug... but the same mind was in charge, and you relaxed the same way that you do then."

"So, I processed what I knew from Adrien's lessons. That makes some sense. What about how I dodged Kagami and pivoted into position?" argued Marinette. "Adrien didn't teach that."

"No, he didn't teach that. Not like that, anyway," said Tikki. "But you've had a year-and-a-half of practice of doing it your own way as Ladybug. Muscle memory from dozens of Akuma fights. Adrien has been teaching you how to focus as _yourself,_ how to relax and trust your own movements without panic or overthinking. So you _did_ relax, and you adapted some Ladybug moves to your normal self. Unconsciously, you figured out how to do that with your own natural abilities, and your response became automatic."

"Now... I feel like I need to warn you," Tikki continued, seeing her host's eyes grow wide with astonishment. "Don't get cocky with that yet. With all of that self-training as Ladybug baked into you now, you have more potential than you realized. You're adding Adrien's lessons to that, and probably getting as much from their ritual and mental relaxation as from the how-tos on moves. But you're not a kung-fu master, all of a sudden. You have _so much_ more to learn."

"Oh, _absolutely!" _agreed Marinette, hurriedly. "It startled me out of my wits when it happened up there! It's certainly not a reaction that I feel like I could count on happening. I'm not about to run up to an Akuma without my spots and go, 'Hey, you, come and get me.'"

"That probably wouldn't be your best idea," giggled Tikki.

* * *

Later that night, Marinette was partway through her bedtime preparation routine when her phone buzzed.

**[Kagami]** Hello there! I am finally free to talk.

**[Marinette] **How did your dinner go?

**[Kagami] **On and on and on and on. The Agrestes just left a few minutes ago. When our parents feel talkative, there is little that can stop them.

**[Kagami] **We did manage to excuse ourselves and slip away after dessert. I was not about to deprive Adrien of that.

**[Marinette]** Very thoughtful of you. That boy could use a few extra calories sometimes.

**[Kagami] **Nothing dramatic after that; we did not know how much time we would have. We spoke of you, of course.

**[Kagami] **Adrien thinks that my getting my own XStation system is an excellent idea, for playing online with both of you.

**[Marinette] **I would like that very much!

**[Marinette] **The one with all the old games on it... that is Adrien's, and it's custom. I may look into saving up to get one for myself at some point.

**[Marinette] **He'd mentioned that one of our friends might be able to help me with that.

**[Marinette] **I have some of them on my computer... but it just feels better with real controllers.

**[Kagami] **Either way, I have a new hobby now. :)

**[Marinette] **My pleasure. Did you tell him about our sparring session?

**[Kagami] **Only that we showed each other a few moves. Your status as a fully trained judoka, I kept to myself for now.

**[Marinette] **I am not! I am very much a novice. I still don't know where that came from today.

**[Kagami] **Well, when you debut dazzling moves like those on Adrien... would you do me a favor?

**[Marinette] **Sure.

**[Kagami] **Just promise me that you'll describe the look on his face.

* * *

The next couple of days settled into a pleasant routine for Marinette. A handsome young man could be found waiting for her each morning, ready to walk with her to school and quick with a compliment, a joke or many, many warm smiles.

It didn't end at the front door, either. Adrien's head seemed like it was on a swivel at times in class, as if he couldn't keep his mind off of Marinette for very long. Hallway conversations between them were more frequent, and occasionally ended with an affectionate hand-squeeze. Marinette's newfound confidence was not the only aspect of that to be noticed.

On Thursday afternoon, much of the class took advantage of the nice lunchtime weather to wander out to the courtyard adjacent to the cafeteria. The students gathered loosely in small groups, certain couples migrating together as usual, with others gathering on informal gender lines. Adrien found himself relaxing with Nino and most of the other boys in his class.

"Hey, Adrien?" asked Nathaniel, seeing a lull in Adrien's conversation with Nino. "Can I ask you a silly question?"

"Uh... sure," Adrien replied. "What's on your mind?"

"Are you and Marinette dating now?"

* * *

A few other nearby heads turned at Nathaniel's voice. Evidently, the question hadn't been on only his mind.

"No... we're not," answered Adrien, carefully. "We're just very good friends."

"And that's fine that you are!" Nathaniel added, quickly. "I was just wondering... sitting in the back like I do, I can't help but watch the room sometimes, and it seemed like..."

"All right. Now I've got a dumb question for you, Adrien," Kim chimed in. "Are you _sure?_"

Adrien frowned. "Of course I'm sure!" he retorted, then allowed his voice to soften a bit as he considered the question more fully. "Why wouldn't I be sure?" he ventured.

"Because my _next _question should be obvious," smiled Kim. "Why _aren't_ you?"

"Why aren't I sure... or why aren't I dating Marinette?" Adrien parried.

"Either one of those, actually," Max interjected. "Because I'll admit to being curious about both of those, too. You and Marinette have been nervous around each other all year; mostly in a good way. As if you were friends who weren't sure if that's all that you should be. But lately... you two have leveled up."

"I'm not sure that there's a big secret to tell about either question, Kim," said Adrien. "I do have a girlfriend already; Kagami Tsurugi. And Marinette knows that; they're friends with each other."

"So you're snuggling up with _both?_" grinned Kim. "You _dog_."

"That's not what's happening!" Adrien exclaimed. "It's... a little complicated. Marinette and I are much closer now than we used to be, for a few reasons... she's coming over to my house this afternoon, actually. I've been teaching her some self-defense techniques, and she's learning them fast! But we're not... _snuggling! _Not like we're _dating,_ anyway."

"Why did you choose Kagami over Marinette for that?" asked Max. "If that isn't prying too much."

Adrien gave him a blank look in return. "Kagami's the one who asked me?" he replied, uncertainly. He turned and gave Nino a look that screamed _Help me here!_, to which Nino simply smiled.

"You know what _I've _told you," said Nino, leaving it at that.

"You don't think that Marinette has been asking you all year, even just with her eyes?" Nathaniel asked. When Adrien's face fell somewhat, he added, "Like I said... I watch people."

"_Now_ I know that," said Adrien, sheepishly.

"Well, your eyes are the ones that are asking now. It's obvious," replied Kim. "And I can't blame you one bit; Marinette's amazing, and she's really into you. So... last question. If you were to ask her with _more_ than your eyes... like, with your mouth... what do you think that she'd say?"

"She'd say 'what about your girlfriend?'" retorted Adrien. "Which is what she _did_ say."

"That's fair," said Kim, followed by a small gasp. _"Ohhhhh! _ So you_ have_ asked her... for real? And she said _NO?_"

Adrien looked at Nino once more, helplessly.

Nino just shrugged. "Dude, you had _all year_ to do this the easy way," he smiled.

* * *

After school, Marinette and Adrien headed towards the waiting sedan, the Gorilla holding the rear door open as usual.

"One second, okay? I need to go get my gi," Marinette noted. "Unless you want to come with?"

"Sure, I'll tag along. We'll be just a second," he added, turning to the Gorilla, who nodded.

The pair entered the bakery, getting a greeting and a wave from Sabine as they dashed through. Near the stairs, Tom saw them coming and sized up Adrien with a calculating look.

"Aha! So _you're _the young man who's been beating up my daughter on the regular," he rumbled in Adrien's direction.

They stopped short, taken by surprise. Adrien turned slightly pale, not knowing how to respond to that, and was relieved when Marinette burst into laughter.

"Oh, yes," she giggled. "I'm just a bruised and bloody _wreck_ after every lesson."

"Actually, may I steal him for a moment? I have a quick question or two," asked Tom.

"You may. I'm just running up to the laundry room to get my gi; I'll be just a moment."

Tom relaxed Adrien with a smile of his own. "I'm only fooling, young man," he explained. "Marinette has been learning quite a bit from your lessons, and having a great time doing it. I'm very pleased that you're making time for her that way."

"It's absolutely my pleasure. Marinette is one of my favorite people," said Adrien. "I wish that I could spend far more time with her."

_Then why don't you? _wondered Tom, but he left that part unspoken. "And... I wanted to ask you about that game gadget that you lent Marinette. Where would I go about acquiring something like that for our house? Someone has a birthday coming up fairly soon."

"Marinette had asked me about that, too. It's a custom system based off of a Raspberry Pi; that's a kind of mini-computer, not something that you would bake," Adrien replied. "So you can't find them in stores per se, but I'll write down what the parts are in this one. Someone online put this one together for me."

"Excellent. If you give that list to Marinette, I'll see what I can do," Tom smiled. "Now, my other question... you're familiar with the games that are on the one you lent us, yes?"

"Uh-huh," said Adrien. "Some more than others, of course, but I think I've played them all."

Tom gave him an anxious look. "In _Space Turnip Rampage Deluxe_, on level 19, how in the _world_ do you blast through the mothership's leaf shield without taking hits?" he exclaimed.

* * *

As Marinette came flying down the stairs, red aikidogi in hand, she was slightly nervous; she wasn't sure what was so urgent that her father needed to talk with Adrien about. It was with a mixture of relief and amusement that she realized that their intense conversation had to do with the finer points of applying laser cannon fire to renegade space vegetables.

"Shall we? I'm all ready," Marinette smiled. "Or we could all just go upstairs and play games, though you might want to let your driver know that."

"Actually... I wish we could. And I'll bet that you do, too," replied Adrien, grinning up at her father. "But I do have a brief reshoot to do tonight after dinner, so Father will have me on a rather short leash this afternoon."

"Then let's not keep him waiting," she said, taking Adrien's hand with her free one.

* * *

A short while later, the drive having gone without incident and each change of clothes having been performed quickly, teacher and student knelt before each other in Adrien's workout room.

"So," asked Marinette once their initial meditation and breathing exercises were complete, "what would you like to show me today?"

"I'm debating that, actually," pondered Adrien. "There are some throws and grabs that I would like to show you... but I don't know if I would have time to do them justice, if we're a little bit rushed today. Like, I'm fond of the Heaven and Earth throw... you might not be ready for the figure-ten throw yet..."

"Yeah, Heaven and Earth looked promising," replied Marinette. "That's the high-low one, right... why are you looking at me like that?"

She watched Adrien raise an eyebrow in surprise. "You... know that throw?"

_Well, yes, _Marinette thought, catching herself. _I did it to Mr. Pigeon once, without knowing that it was called that at the time. I was looking up aikido demos out of curiosity yesterday, and that move looked familiar..._

"Er... it's amazing what you can find on YouTube," she smiled, innocently. "Just watching some videos and seeing what might be coming up soon in our lessons... but I've never actually _tried_ it, of course. Can we try it, super-slow?"

Marinette stretched her arms out in slow motion, as if grabbing at Adrien, allowing him to take the lead. He grasped each of her wrists, then moved forward into her space, raising one arm and lowering the other to twist her torso gently and throw her off-balance. Even moving slowly, it took but an instant for Adrien to lower her to the mat.

"That's it. That's one of the move demos that I was watching," Marinette beamed. "That could definitely catch someone by surprise."

"Your turn, then," said Adrien, helping her to her feet. "I'll come at you this time."

He executed his part of the maneuver... and found himself on his back a moment later, with blue eyes and a smile hovering over him.

"That was... very good, Marinette!" Adrien exclaimed. "I could nitpick your footwork very slightly... but that was nearly flawless, especially for a first-timer!"

She lifted him to his feet, appearing a little bit flushed by his praise. "Thank you," she smiled. "I didn't have a partner, but I did my best to mimic what I saw in the video, how to do my half of it."

"Which is all well and good," Adrien noted, "and I shouldn't be surprised by your being such a quick learner. But there's at least one thing that a video can't do. Go ahead."

Marinette reached for him once more, and watched Adrien grasp her wrists again. This time, however, he reversed the directions of the high-low motions, surprising her; had he not been going slowly on purpose, she could've fallen rather hard due to being caught leaning the wrong way.

"...A video can't mix things up like that," smiled Adrien. "So keep that in mind when you're doing a little independent research. You can copy the form all day long... but you also have to think about how else it could be performed. When we're practicing, we keep things predictable for safety's sake, but an attacker won't think like that."

"I understand completely," said Marinette. "Thank you, Sensei."

Adrien's smile turned into a slight grimace. "I thought I told you not to call me... that?" he began, then grinned as he saw Marinette stick her tongue out at him, impishly. "Somebody's going to be a handful today, I see," he teased her.

"Maybe," she replied, her eyes dancing. "But I'll behave. I know to take this seriously."

* * *

The two of them practiced that and other grabs and throws for a short while. At Adrien's suggestion, he altered his approach on occasion, keeping Marinette guessing. For the most part, she handled herself very well, reacting to slow-motion movements that gradually accelerated as she became used to them.

About twenty minutes in, however, Marinette found herself having guessed wrong and overcorrected, trying to compensate for that. When she shifted her weight, she moved a bit awkwardly...

_"Ah!"_ she yelped, hopping slightly and favoring her right foot.

In a flash, Adrien went from determined assailant to concerned paramedic, releasing all pressure. "Are you okay?" he worried. "Did I hurt you?"

"N-no, _you_ didn't," mumbled Marinette. "I did it myself. I twisted my ankle a little bit just then."

"Sit down. Let me see if I can help, please," Adrien requested, aiding her in reaching a sitting position with her legs straight out in front of her.

"It's not that bad, really," she insisted. "I just tweaked it a little..."

As Adrien began massaging her ankle, however, she relented and added, "...though that _does_ feel awfully good."

"Good. I want it to," Adrien replied. "I'm so sorry that happened."

"You didn't do it, Adrien. You protected me very well," said Marinette. "So don't apologize. You've told me many times, these things happen and that's why we practice at reduced speed and force."

"Exactly," Adrien agreed, looking somewhat relieved. "But just relax for now. Let me know if this helps."

* * *

Adrien's ankle massage wasn't a cure-all... but the feeling of Adrien's soft hands holding and caressing her leg and foot was more than an adequate distraction from any pain for Marinette. Granted, they'd been grabbing and tossing each other around for several lessons now, but this was a very different kind of sensation... and one that sent a flutter through Marinette, knowing that it didn't seem _entirely_ medicinal.

"Mmmm. Thank you," she told him, after a moment. "Let me try standing on it now."

With Adrien's insisted-upon assistance, she rose to her feet. "See? Almost good as new," she showed off, forcing herself to not wince when she first put pressure on it. She found that she could indeed walk and turn without more than the slightest pain.

"Do you want to keep doing this?" asked Adrien. "Practicing today, I mean. I'm not about to throw you around the room with an injured ankle."

"It's up to you. I can keep going if you want to, and if you have time," Marinette replied. "It feels well enough now to continue."

"In that case... would you like to try something a little different?" Adrien asked.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well... someone _did_ tell me that you and she did a little light sparring on Tuesday, and that she was showing you some of her karate moves," said Adrien.

"I wouldn't call it _sparring_," Marinette argued. "Just showing each other some very simple basics from what we've been learning."

"Still, it gave you at least a little practice in defending against strikes," mused Adrien. "Would you like to see what some of those look like in aikido? They're not a major part of aikido like they are in karate, but they definitely have their place. And we can do that from a simple standing position, so that you won't be straining that ankle further."

"That sounds like fun," she agreed.

"Okay," Adrien began. "There are a few kinds of strikes that I've been taught as part of aikido. _Atemi_, they're called. Not all of them are meant to actually do damage; after all, the spirit of aikido is to _not_ harm your assailant unnecessarily, right? There are shoves and palm strikes, like this..."

He reached across and slowly pushed at Marinette's left shoulder area, turning her body with its applied force. "You can use them in a number of ways. Sometimes, they can distract the target and stop an incoming attack by themselves. Or you can use them as part of a throw sequence... like, if I turn you to the left like this, now you're much more open to a wristlock on this arm, see?"

"Definitely," Marinette agreed. "As long as _I'm_ not off-balance from reaching out like that. I need to maintain my balance and anticipate where they'll be after I strike, whether or not it's successful."

"Right! So you can chain one move into another like that," beamed Adrien. "Or... there's something more like this. Hold still, please."

With lightning speed, he flashed his hand into Marinette's face, as if trying to hit her in the eyes with extended fingers.

_"Ahhhh!" _she yelped, recoiling somewhat by instinct.

"A feint," explained Adrien. "Never meant to actually touch you... but the way that you flinched just then is both difficult to resist, and very predictable. Yet another tool in your arsenal. Any time that you can distract your opponent, put them off their game, that's putting you more in control of the situation. And that is what you want to be."

"That makes perfect sense," Marinette nodded.

* * *

Adrien spent some time with Marinette going over the basics: how to strike without overcommitting, how to work shoves and feints into defensive reactions, how to simply deflect away or maneuver around rapid strikes. "Some of this might not be pure aikido," he conceded; "some of my other disciplines are sneaking in. But the spirit of it is the same; your main intention isn't to punish, but to redirect."

As Marinette got the hang of some of the simple counters and practiced some simple strikes of her own, Adrien marveled at her speed of motion. "You have _excellent_ reflexes, Marinette. I know that I've said that before," he admired. "But for someone who claims to be clumsy, you have very quick hands! Let's increase the tempo a little bit."

Adrien continued with simple strikes, gradually turning into small combinations. When he did get past Marinette's guard, it was no more than a light touch, but each one of those seemed to make her more determined to stop the next one... and, more often than not, she did.

For her part, Marinette felt increasingly comfortable with their exchanges. _I feel like I'm practicing with Chat Noir,_ she grinned to herself. _We do this kind of exercise sometimes, and Adrien's moves are kind of similar... a little bit familiar, even. Can't quite put my finger on how, though._

_Adrien's taking it easy on me, of course... but not by that much! I am keeping up with him, even as he's going faster, though... I wonder how fast I can go?_

Finally... it happened. Adrien lunged to the side abruptly, trying to come at Marinette from an unexpected angle... and, without any thinking, Marinette reacted reflexively. It wasn't a very hard strike, but it was enough to send a startled Adrien sprawling on his backside, as her palm made firm contact with his face.

* * *

"_ADRIEN!"_

Marinette's yelp was nearly a shriek as she hurried to his side. "I'm _so sorry_, I didn't meant to hit you, I _didn't-"_ she stammered.

"_Stop_. That wasn't your fault, Marinette," Adrien interrupted. "That was completely on me. I tried something that you didn't expect, and as the aggressor and the teacher, it's on me to control the exchange. I escalated it before you were ready for that. I broke the rules; you did nothing wrong."

"Don't tell me that! I just punched you in the _face!_" moaned Marinette.

"Actually..." mused Adrien, as he tested the area with tentative fingers, "you _didn't._ If you had hit me full force like that, you could've caused some real damage... maybe broken my nose, maybe even the orbital bone. But you _didn't_. Not only did you hold back your full strength, you got me with the middle of your palm, not the heel of your hand. You... _ow!_ You reacted on instinct, but you did everything just right."

"You're never going to convince me of that," Marinette worried. "Let me look at it and see what I did."

Adrien took his hand away, and Marinette's eyes went wide. "Oh, dear," she fretted. "That's already swelling up a little bit. Where does it hurt?"

"A little bit here," said Adrien, pointing to the bridge of his nose.

_I can't really... massage that the way that he did my ankle_, thought Marinette...

* * *

All of a sudden, pain was the last thing on Adrien's mind. He watched as Marinette leaned forward, and then felt her soft lips pressing against where he'd pointed to, like tiny angel wings fluttering against his skin.

"I'm so sorry," Marinette repeated. "I hope that helps, in some little way."

"It... did. Thank you," replied Adrien, feeling electrified. Hesitantly, he pointed to beneath his left eye, where the swelling was rising. "This hurts a little, too," he murmured.

Dutifully, Marinette leaned in once more, kissing him very gently where he'd indicated. Despite the tenderness of the area, Marinette's tenderness felt exquisite to him.

"Anywhere else need some TLC?" she asked, in a soft voice.

Seeing the affection and need pouring out of Marinette's expression... Adrien swallowed hard.

"...H-here," Adrien indicated.

Marinette bit her bottom lip, very slightly. "Adrien," she ventured, "I know that I didn't hit you on the mouth."

"I know," he breathed. "But I promise you, Marinette... my lips are absolutely _aching_ right now."

As they each hesitated, the look on Marinette's face screamed out _Are you sure about this?_... and the look on Adrien's shouted back _Yes, I am._

* * *

With the sense of inopportune timing that only a trained professional could achieve, Nathalie chose that moment to open the door to the dojo and approach them.

"Excuse me," she intoned. "Hello, Marinette. I do not wish to interrupt, but your time is running - _agggh!_ What has _happened_ here?"

"A mistake on my part," Adrien insisted, before Marinette could respond. "It looks worse than it is, I assure you."

"Looks are what matter right now," snapped Nathalie. "Or did you not remember that you have a photo session tonight? Hold still, I'll grab an icepack; we need to stop that swelling at all costs. Oh, your father is going to throw a _fit_ over this."

"I didn't mean to... I never would have..." mumbled Marinette.

"She did nothing wrong. I was the one who..." countered Adrien.

If Nathalie heard either of those as she stormed out of the room, she gave no indication.

* * *

A few minutes later, the teens stood in the front lobby, facing a concerned-looking Gorilla, an emotionless Nathalie and a clearly exasperated Gabriel. The latter reached out and moved his son's hand and its icepack away for a moment, and registered a brief snort of disgust.

"Nathalie," he directed, "inform Vincent that tonight's session is cancelled. We will reschedule this at a later date, as circumstances allow."

"Yes, Sir," echoed Nathalie. "I will work out the impact of that on this and next week's schedule."

"I can do this tonight," grumbled Adrien. "I'm not all that injured-"

"_Yes... you are_," Gabriel growled. "This is not some class picture with a rank amateur behind the camera, Adrien. This is a professional-grade advertising campaign, for which you need to appear flawless. No amount of touch-up makeup will cover what I see here. You should certainly understand the impact of that."

He turned towards Marinette. "As for _you_, Marinette... yes, I _do_ remember you now. This is not our first time crossing paths, now that I look at you," he intoned.

"Y-yes, Sir," Marinette squeaked out.

"I have no interest in assigning blame for this incident," said Gabriel. "I did not see what happened. This is a physical endeavor, and mistakes will occur, and your expression tells me precisely how distraught you are about this injury. Therefore, I will choose not to hold this against you personally."

"_But_," he continued over her silent nod of acknowledgement. "I gave my blessing to these activities as long as they did not cause problems. As of now, they have officially caused significant problems. This has been your last aikido lesson with my son. Do you _understand_ me?"

"I do," replied Marinette, looking downwards.

"Good," snapped Gabriel. "Nathalie, get Dr. Linville over here... and call Jennifer from Makeup. Have her come over as well. Between the two of them, they can determine how best to handle this in the short term." He turned to the Gorilla, indicating _Take her home now_ with a gesture, then spun on his heel and departed without another word.

* * *

Nathalie turned to the Gorilla, noticing a lack of movement on his part. The big man stood very still, intending on remaining until proper goodbyes had been spoken.

"Fine," she shrugged, returning to the teens with an impassive expression. "For what it is worth, Marinette," she said, dryly, "I do not believe that you have burned all bridges with Mr. Agreste. That was remarkably restrained on his part, compared to what I had expected. But I suspect that I would not want to be you today, should he return here in a few moments and find you still here."

As Nathalie turned to leave, she added over her shoulder, "I am off to make those phone calls. Use your remaining time wisely; I estimate about a minute of it left."

Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien, careful not to jostle his arm that had returned to icing up his eye. "I am so going to make this up to you," she whimpered.

"I was about to say the same thing to _you_," Adrien replied. "You did nothing wrong today, and you're being yelled at. I'm sorry about that."

"It's fine," sniffled Marinette. "I'm just glad that we spent the time together that we did. I'll see you in school, at least."

"This isn't _goodbye,_ Marinette," Adrien insisted. "Maybe we can't keep our lessons going, though I will work on Father about that once things calm down... but I still want to be with you, as much as I can. _Believe_ that."

Marinette heard his words, and pushed a smile onto her face in part to keep her jaw from dropping at them.

Nervously, the Gorilla cleared his throat.

"Go. I'll call you tonight," Adrien told her. "I'll be fine, I promise."

"You'd better be," Marinette ordered him... then kissed him on the cheek, as whisper-soft as her medicinal kisses from earlier, as heartfelt as the one Adrien had given her by the car on Monday.

Without another word, she allowed the Gorilla to whisk her away to the garage, her eyes following him for as long as they could.

* * *

Next time:

* Another one-sided conversation.

* "She really _did _say 'no.'"

* "I'm sky-high and flat on my face at the same time. And I don't know which one's right."

* Considering alternative arrangements.

* "Were you going to?"

And more!


	9. Chapter 9

Throw Me Around Like One Of Your French Girls, Chapter 9

* * *

As the Gorilla settled behind the steering wheel and pulled out of the garage, he kept one eye on his young passenger in the back seat. "Inconsolable" was, perhaps, a strong word to use to describe her... but if she was not there yet, it appeared to be within her easy reach.

It took a short while for Marinette to realize that she was being watched. She hesitated before replying, but his expression did seem concerned, perhaps even kindly.

"I really did it this time, Mr. G," she managed. "I don't know if I could've messed this up more if I'd _tried."_

He waved one hand invitingly, as if to say, _Go on, then_.

"Well, first of all, there's the obvious. When someone seems very fond of you, the first thing you should probably avoid doing is _punching him in the face,_" a morose Marinette told him.

His expression in response to that seemed conflicted. _Yeah, probably not, BUT..._ was what she got out of it. His hand waved again, encouraging her to explain herself further.

"Okay, you asked for it. Here goes..."

* * *

In one of the main meeting rooms of the mansion, one with good lighting and room for many people to congregate, many people did.

Adrien winced as Dr. Linville, Jennifer from the makeup department, and Vincent the photographer jockeyed for position in front of him, attending to and prodding at the swelling around his eye. Nathalie was briefly part of the mix as well, but withdrew both for her own safety and to confer with her employer.

"This was surely an accident," she ventured. "Marinette would sooner destroy a priceless work of art than damage Adrien in any way."

"Oh, I concur," Gabriel agreed, a frown glued onto his face. "And I said as much to her at the time. I will not... bury her for this. That said," he added, observing the chaos, "this little dalliance has proven costly to me, and has reached its conclusion."

"Are you going to take Adrien out of his own martial arts lessons, as well?" wondered Nathalie. "As such an accident could occur there as well."

"I do not think that will be necessary. Adrien's private lessons are with a qualified instructor, are they not? Rather than being led by a young student, who is contending with a certain blue-eyed distraction all the while."

Adrien glared past Dr. Linville for a moment. "I can hear you, you know," he barked at his father.

"Good. It will spare me the need to repeat it to you later," Gabriel replied, dryly. "I am questioning neither the sincerity of your teachings, nor their efficacy. I am questioning whether you are the right person to be delivering them, under these circumstances! And the decision is mine to make, but since I can see the discomfort that you are in... and not all of it physical... I will explain my reasoning to you."

As Adrien watched Gabriel step closer to him, he winced again, only in part from the makeup artist's fingers near his eyes. _Ah, good. Here comes the lecture,_ he groaned internally.

* * *

"So, I didn't have time to think, I just went, _whap!_ And I caught him right here," Marinette explained, gesturing up under one eye. "I so didn't mean to - of _course_ I didn't _mean to!_" she yelped. "But I did it, just the same. Adrien swore up and down that it wasn't my fault, it was his, but he won't convince me of that."

As the car paused at a red light, the Gorilla turned, visibly pondering how to respond. He gestured with a straight palm thrust... then with both hands, one feigning an attack on the other and the other responding with a reflexive defensive strike.

"I'm sorry, Mr. G, but you're not going to convince me, either," smiled Marinette, sadly. "Maybe it was just an instinctive reaction... But it was my hand and his face, and I can't get around that fact."

The Gorilla seemed to have more to add to that particular line of inquiry... but the light changed once more, and he returned his primary focus to the road with a small grunt of frustration.

"His father looked at me, like... um... it's hard to describe. It's like, he was angry, but I could see that he was holding that back somewhat. No, it was more like he wasn't just angry, he was... _disappointed. _ A look like _I trusted you, and you have failed me, and I may never feel comfortable trusting you again. _Does that ring any bells with you?"

With weary eyes and an emphatic nod, the Gorilla indicated that, yes, he was _very_ familiar with that expression.

"And, it's like... that hurts _worse_," Marinette shuddered. "I mean... I don't care that much if he aims that at _me_, you know? I'm nobody important in his eyes. But if that's the kind of judgment that Adrien feels like he gets, every time he doesn't meet his father's standards... oh, my _gosh! _No _wonder_ Adrien feels so stressed. And I'm just so afraid that his father will take this out on him later, emotionally."

"And that..." she added, sinking back into the seat cushion a bit, "might not even be the worst thing that I did to Adrien today."

_That_ got the Gorilla's attention. He looked back at Marinette with surprise in his eyes, then came to a quick decision; rather than turning left at the intersection as he'd planned, he shot straight ahead instead.

"Um..." Marinette interjected. "...Mr. G? You just went right by my street."

He gestured in the air with a finger, first demonstrating a quick left turn... then laying out a longer, winding path, looping around to the same place but covering significantly more distance.

"You... you're taking the long way around? ...So that we'll have more time to talk?" she asked.

The Gorilla nodded, with a smile.

"I, um... do get a choice in this, right?" Marinette added, a little nervously.

The smile was quickly replaced with a look of profound worry. He held his hand up, nodding vigorously, and looked down the road for an opportunity to make an abrupt U-turn.

"No, no, it's fine!" exclaimed Marinette. "I just wanted to be sure that I wasn't being kidnapped, you know? If you don't mind... I'd like to talk some more. It'll do me good to think this through before I try telling my mother about it."

* * *

Adrien stared at his father - _yes, with both eyes, they're both still working, jeez, Father_ \- and waited expectantly.

"What was it that Miss Dupain-Cheng asked of you in the first place?" mused Gabriel. "A simple thing; to teach her some self-defense techniques. Moves and strategies so that, should some unruly young lad grab hold of her, she might slip away unharmed and without having broken her assailant. That is what Nathalie told me. Is that accurate?"

"That's... correct," Adrien allowed. "That's precisely what she'd asked me about."

"Which she has clearly absorbed at this point in time," Gabriel smiled. "Has she learned everything that you wished to teach her? Likely not. I would imagine that if she had, you would each be somewhere in the vicinity of middle-age. You are in no hurry to end this process, and neither is she."

"Not that I can blame either of you," he continued. "She is a fetching young lady, is she not? Respectful. Polite. Rather accomplished for her age, as I understand. A frequent dinner conversation topic, I am told. And having found a stratagem that would enable her to become a larger part of your own life, she-"

"That is _not _what this was all about," Adrien interrupted. "Marinette did not ask for these lessons in order to get closer to me."

"Keep telling yourself that," Gabriel laughed. "If she-"

"You are _wrong, _Father. Dead wrong."

* * *

"After I hit him... he went down in a heap, and I wanted to make him feel better, any way I could," Marinette explained, in a slightly shaky voice. "So I did the... you know... kiss it and make it all better? I asked where else it hurt, he pointed here, and I kissed him there. Then I asked what else needed to be kissed... and he pointed right here."

She touched her lips with her index finger. The Gorilla waited until traffic was thin enough to allow it, then turned her way and gave her a thumbs-up.

"No! That's just it. We're... not supposed to... _do_ that," sighed Marinette. "We'd talked about that, before this. He's still with Kagami. They need to figure that out before Adrien and I can be _anything _romantic. I'm... not the kind of girl who would step in and break up people who are happy together. I'm just _sure_ I'm not."

The Gorilla raised an eyebrow, questioningly.

"He likes me that way. I _love _him that way. We both know that now, but the time isn't right," said Marinette. "So we made a deal that we'd... enjoy this new closeness but just not _act_ on it in ways that would get us in trouble. And I thought that I could do that; that I could keep myself under control and if Adrien slipped, I could disarm it with a joke or a comment. But today... I started it. I didn't mean to, but I tempted him by kissing him like that, and he responded."

Marinette's face fell. "But he _wanted to!_" she wailed. "Adrien wanted to kiss me _for real_. And that makes me feel like... like... but I know that it's _wrong! _For now, anyway! I'm sky-high and flat on my face at the same time. And I don't know which one's right."

Abruptly, the car swerved to the curb, pulling over and stopping completely.

* * *

Adrien's voice was steely enough to stop even his father from responding, at least for the moment.

"She asked me to teach her a few things because she knows that I've been training in martial arts, because I'm her good friend, and because she trusts me. She didn't ask me to do this to win my love," Adrien declared. "She wouldn't have _needed_ to. If I'd had an inkling that she had that in mind... it was hers for the asking. It has been for some time now, to be completely honest."

_With you... and with myself,_ he thought.

"I see!" said Gabriel, genuinely not having expected that level of certainty from his son. _"Well!_ Between this and Miss Tsurugi, this tells me one important thing. It seems that your taste in young ladies is excellent; you are not easily distracted by an overinflated reputation, bank balance or blouse. You seek those who possess both a gentleness of spirit and a reservoir of inner strength."

"And what does that tell you, exactly?" parried Adrien, not sure where that was headed.

"That you inherited _something_ in your personality from your father," Gabriel chuckled. "Because your mother was the same way."

"_Anyway_," continued Adrien, "Marinette asked me to teach her. That, I've been doing."

"And quite well. Well enough to impress Nathalie, that day that she watched you two practicing together. Well enough that after just three lessons, she slipped one past _your_ guard, and convincingly so," grinned Gabriel. "No, she is not ready to go and star in big-budget action movies. But that was not the intent... and neither was teaching her every single aspect of aikido."

Adrien nodded, grudgingly, seeing his logic there.

"Now. Regardless of her motivation - which I will take your word for, as I grant that you know her far better than I - I allowed these sessions to continue because, clearly, they made you happy. As long as they did not put you at risk, or interfere with business... they were a sufficiently pleasant and harmless diversion," lectured Gabriel. "But _now_..."

Gabriel extended a finger and touched the swelling underneath Adrien's eye, rather lightly, but just firmly enough to make Adrien flinch slightly. "Now, they have done both. So I feel that if Miss Dupain-Cheng wishes to learn more... perhaps it is time that she sought out a fully qualified studio, rather than a well-meaning but quite distracted classmate."

"And you have no objections if I continue to see her for... other reasons?" asked Adrien, holding his breath slightly.

"Of course not. I hear that she is an avid fan of your video games, for example; the two of you can arrange to... do whatever you do in those," shrugged Gabriel. "Pong up your Space Invaders, or Super your Marios, or whatever those are all about. Or if you are old-fashioned enough deep down for more conventional wooing, that too can be arranged," he grinned. "I hear that a pleasant walk in the park or a shared after-school snack can be nice this time of year. Going outside, the way children used to do, with a much lower risk of facial contusions than what you've been up to lately."

_"...Really?"_

"_Provided_," Gabriel responded.

Adrien fought hard not to roll his eyes at that, as he sensed that the gesture might offend his father _and_ physically hurt under the circumstances.

"Provided that you can abide by my other wishes, as well. I have never told you that you _must_ romance Miss Tsurugi. I will tell you now that I expect you to remain on at least pleasant terms with her, at least until my business dealings with her mother are complete. Preferably far longer than that. If problems erupt in that area, you will hear about it from me. If that puts me in consideration for this year's Parental Ogre of the Year, so be it."

"Staying on Kagami's good side shouldn't be difficult, because I _want_ to, very much. Kagami's a wonderful person," Adrien replied.

"A wonderful person who may take it quite poorly if she is abruptly dumped," parried Gabriel. "And potentially take it out on you, or on Miss Dupain-Cheng, or on both. Angering a kendo practitioner and breaking her heart may be an excellent way for your _other_ eye to swell up."

"I know. I have no intentions of hurting her, believe me," sighed Adrien. "Which is why Marinette and I are deliberately holding back."

"Holding back in some areas, perhaps. But in others, your eye suggests otherwise."

Gabriel leaned in close. "I do wish you luck with the necessary damage control that comes next. Explaining this to Miss Tsurugi and soothing Miss Dupain-Cheng's feelings of guilt will not be easy, but I do suggest attempting both later tonight. In the meantime, I will be in my office, determining what can be salvaged of the weekend's activities and how much disruption of this month's scheduling will be necessary. So... carry on, and get some rest."

He turned and walked away briskly, leaving Adrien feeling... not so much angered or hurt as simply diminished by what he'd just heard. _He knows precisely how to make me feel five years old without giving me anything to be rightfully furious about,_ Adrien sighed to himself.

"All right. _Now_," Dr. Linville declared, leaning in close, "since he is now out of our hair, let me get a better look at this..."

* * *

"Mr. G?" Marinette wondered aloud as the car stopped. "What's the matter? What did I say?"

The big man turned around to face Marinette, not looking at all angry, as she'd worried for a moment when he'd abruptly pulled over. He held his hand over the passenger seat as he had once before, signifying that the invisible presence there represented Adrien, to which Marinette nodded.

The Gorilla made a heart shape over "Adrien's" chest, then turned and pantomimed Marinette grabbing at it roughly. He shook his head negatively after that.

"Um... I shouldn't try to steal Adrien's heart? That's what you're saying?" worried Marinette.

He responded negatively to that. He then turned back to Marinette's position in the pantomime, held up his hand in a warding position and shook his head gently.

"You're saying... that I _wouldn't_ try to steal Adrien's heart away, at least right now? You don't think so?"

That got a vigorous yes. Next, he reassumed Adrien's position, redrew the heart... and gently pushed it in Marinette's direction with a smile.

"You don't think that I'm trying to steal Adrien's heart... but you think that he's _giving it to me himself, freely?"_ wondered Marinette, her heart pounding.

"Adrien's" gesture increased in intensity, slowly, until he was nearly hurling it at her. The Gorilla then switched sides, and mimed reaching with one hand and pulling the other back in turn; he then pointed to Marinette and tapped his head, with a thoughtful expression as if considering the mysteries of the ages..

"Okay..." Marinette muttered, working it out. "He's... more and more sure that he wants me to have it? But... it's up to me to think about it and decide... if I want to accept it or not?"

Beaming, the Gorilla did an "on the nose" gesture, then ruffled Marinette's hair playfully. He tapped his temple again, then mimicked something small and round, then pointed to Marinette once more.

"...That one I don't get yet," she admitted.

Still grinning, he mimed tossing the round object into his mouth and eating it vigorously.

"Ah! I'm a smart cookie," giggled Marinette. She held the smile, but added, "I wish that I _was_ that smart. Then I could figure out what to do about this situation."

The Gorilla gave her a comforting smile. He drew a huge heart in front of Marinette, indicating his own assessment of her capacity for love and compassion... then returned to the wheel.

* * *

Sabine saw the sedan pull up to the curb through the bakery's front window. As Marinette climbed out, Sabine's first inkling that something odd was going on was that her daughter was still wearing her scarlet aikidogi.

_That's odd_, she thought. _Usually, she changes before she comes home. She put on her shoes, at least, but was she in some kind of big hurry today?_

The enormous driver-slash-bodyguard stepped out as well, walking around to speak with Marinette. _Well, nod and gesture at her, at least, _Sabine mused. Marinette spoke back to him with a serious expression on her face, and ended their brief conversation with a hug.

As the sedan pulled away, Sabine watched Marinette open the front door and enter the building. "Hello, dear. You're home a bit earlier than I expected," Sabine said. "Is everything all right?"

Seeing several customers in the shop, Marinette maintained a stiff upper lip and kept her voice steady, but Sabine could see the effort involved in that. "I'm... going upstairs for a little while. Come and talk to me when you get a chance, okay?"

"I will," Sabine assured her.

It took a few minutes for the store to clear out, but once it did, Sabine asked Tom to watch the counter and headed upstairs. She found Marinette on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"You do not look happy," Sabine worried. "Did something happen with Adrien?"

"Other than that I need to call Kagami tonight and say, 'Hey, I thought you should know that I _broke your boyfriend_ after he asked me to kiss him on the mouth?' Nothing much."

"Oh," replied Sabine. "_That_ old story."

* * *

Marinette relayed her tales of woe to her mother then, and to her father as well over dinner. Both seemed sympathetic.

"You know," her father pointed out, "if the person _I'd_ been crushing on all year asked me to kiss them, I'd probably be more excited than horrified. Face punch or no face punch."

"Tom... you have to consider the circumstances," Sabine chided him.

"_Exactly!_" emphasized Marinette, with an undercurrent of _Have you even been LISTENING to how I've just ruined my life?_ to it. "A month ago, I would've been jumping for joy! But it wasn't supposed to happen like _this!"_

"Honey...?" Tom ventured. "Sometimes... it just _happens_."

"It's up to Adrien to decide whom he feels that he's falling for more," added Sabine. "I believe you that you haven't been _actively_ pursuing him... but it sounds like you _are_ being pursued."

"That's kind of what Mr. G. got across to me on the way home," Marinette noted. "That he's pretty sure that Adrien's not just giving me his heart... he's _throwing it to me_ now. But also that it's up to me to decide what to do about that."

"Does the other girl know what happened today? Either part of it?" asked Tom.

"I texted Kagami earlier, telling her about Adrien's eye. I haven't heard back from her yet; she might not have read it," Marinette told him. "I didn't want to wait on telling her that. As for the kissing part... I'm not sure if Adrien or I should bring that up first. I mean, in the end, the big kiss didn't happen."

"True..." smiled Tom. "You were interrupted by Nathalie before you had to make that decision. But there is something else that I'm wondering."

"What's that?" asked Marinette.

"...Were you going to?"

Marinette's eyes went distant. "I'm wondering that, myself," she offered.

* * *

Upstairs at the Agreste Mansion, a tired Adrien finally managed some alone time up in his room. He studied his face in the bathroom, then emerged with an icepack in hand and flopped down into his bed.

"You look like you've had better days," cackled a small voice. "You hangin' in there?"

"So far," Adrien mumbled. "I can't put ice on it _too_ much, so I'm taking a break. I'm supposed to elevate it and do cold on and off for a day or two, then switch to warm compresses. The main thing right now is to try to minimize swelling, they said."

"And whatever you do, don't make Marinette angry," said Plagg, floating into view. "She did this when she was _happy_."

"And though she be but little, she is fierce," recited Adrien, from memory. "Though I'm trying to remember the gentleness that followed, instead."

"You... did seem to like that, yeah," agreed Plagg. "And at least now you know that Marinette's not just a sucker for a pretty face. She busted yours up and _then_ she kissed you. That was a pretty smooth line you dropped on her, by the way."

"I stole it from a movie," Adrien muttered. "Reversed it, kind of. But I wasn't trying to, like... seduce her, or anything... it just came from the heart."

"Well, if you hadn't been interrupted, you might've had hers right then and there. Your little truce didn't last long," Plagg noted.

"Where we knew we liked each other, but we weren't going to act on it like that?" replied Adrien. "Yeah, um... I didn't think that it would, honestly. Maybe she can hold back, but I know how I feel."

"And if _she_ could hold back completely, you wouldn't be holding that icepack," quipped Plagg.

"That's not fair and you know it. That blow was my fault," Adrien snapped back. _"Both _parts of today were my fault."

"Oh, yeah? Then who kissed who today?"

Adrien considered that. "Y-yeah... but those weren't _those _kinds of kisses," he argued.

"Weren't they? Soft and sweet and with big feelings behind them?" Plagg smiled. "The first two missed your mouth. The third one, the one that you asked her for... that wouldn't have."

He continued, while Adrien processed that fact. "And _that _means that maybe you ought to work out a few things with her, _and_ with Kagami, before things get any more complicated."

Adrien reached for his phone. "You're right... and I have decisions to make. But I know what I need to do first."

* * *

Sensing some important conversations in the near future for her, Sabine and Tom didn't blink when Marinette asked to be excused after dinner, and did the dishes themselves. Marinette headed for her room and tried to force herself not to pace back and forth, though Tikki remained a bit worried that Marinette would wear a path in the floorboards.

"So which one do you want to hear from first?" asked Tikki, innocently.

"I'm not sure," Marinette worried. "I need to talk to both of them, but I might've made things a lot more complicated with both of them, too."

"Okay," Tikki ventured, closing her eyes. "You do realize that _even if_ you did something wrong today comforting Adrien, and I don't think that you did... it took two to tango, right? You were very innocent when you kissed him today, all three times. _Adrien_ asked to escalate things from there, and you hesitated."

"I know... but I put him in that position, literally and figuratively!" moaned Marinette. "I knocked him on his butt... then I crouched down over him when he was vulnerable and started kissing him. Why _would he _have been thinking straight then?"

"And _you_ whacked the boy of your dreams in the face by accident, and were so shocked by that that you had to comfort him any way you could. You weren't thinking, either; you were reacting," countered Tikki.

"And I shouldn't have been."

"Marinette..." Tikki insisted, "I know that you hold yourself to very high standards. You almost _always _put other people first. But you should remember that you're allowed to be human, too. You have wants and needs and emotions just like everybody else, and other people do understand that."

Marinette searched for a counter-argument that didn't immediately come to her.

"You love Adrien. Adrien knows that. _Kagami_ knows that," Tikki added. "You don't have to choke down and lock away all evidence of that, just because Kagami exists. I know that your intentions are good, and so do they."

Marinette's phone chose that moment to buzz with an incoming message. Nervously, she looked down at it:

**[Kagami] **Well... I did ask you to describe Adrien's reaction when you showed him your hidden talents.

**[Kagami] **He just opened a video-chat with me, and a picture is worth a thousand words. What did you HIT him with? A shovel?

"Oh, no," Marinette worried aloud as she typed back.

**[Marinette] **Is it THAT BAD?

**[Kagami]** Honestly... no; not yet, at least. More damage was done to his dignity, I suspect.

**[Kagami]** He learned a painful lesson in underestimating you... with which I can empathize, of course!

**[Marinette] **You're still online with him?

**[Kagami] **Yes. He said that he wants to talk with me about something before he talks with you. Do you know what that might be?

**[Marinette] **Maybe a little. Not sure where he'll go with it.

**[Kagami] **I see.

**[Marinette] **Please don't be mad. I didn't mean it. Any of it.

**[Kagami] **How about this... Did something happen that SHOULD cause a big problem between us?

**[Marinette] **I don't think so... Or at least I hope not!

**[Kagami] **Then I'll have Adrien tell me what did happen... and we will touch base soon. :)

**[Marinette] **That works for me. Tell him that I said hi... and that I'M STILL SO SORRY FOR HITTING HIM!

* * *

A little while later, the other message that she'd been waiting for arrived.

**[Adrien] **Hi there. I'm off the call with Kagami. How are you feeling?

**[Marinette] **How am _I_ feeling? Never mind that, how are _you_ feeling?

**[Adrien] **It's not that bad. I'm icing it down to prevent as much swelling as I can, and it seems to be helping.

**[Adrien] **It doesn't really hurt unless I touch it, so I'm trying not to do that, of course.

**[Marinette] **I will find some way to make this up to you. Somehow.

**[Marinette] **How did your father react after I left? I could tell that he was holding back while I was still there.

**[Adrien] **Not as badly as I'd feared? We had a talk about it - and about you. He seemed satisfied.

**[Adrien] **He's fussing about canceled photoshoot this and business implications that, but he'd have found a reason to do that anyway.

**[Marinette] **...Am I ever allowed to visit again?

**[Adrien] **Of COURSE you are. I wouldn't have it any other way.

**[Marinette] **I figured that your father would put up Wanted: Dead or Alive posters by your door.

**[Adrien] **He was understanding. Maybe surprisingly so! He still doesn't want me teaching you any more... but Kagami's volunteered to help you with that.

**[Adrien] **Something about 'putting a bell on a tiger.'

**[Marinette] **That's sweet of her to offer... especially given the circumstances.

She paused, wondering how much further to probe.

**[Marinette]** So... you two had a good talk, otherwise?

**[Adrien] **We did. We're getting together this weekend to continue that.

**[Adrien] **We've got a few things that we need to work out together.

**[Marinette] **Now I feel horrible. I'm doing what I said I wouldn't do - complicating things between you two.

**[Adrien] **I promise you - you're not. We're talking about things that we would've needed to, anyway.

**[Adrien] **But I will let you know how that goes, and I'm sure that she will, too.

The two of them chatted for a little while longer before calling it a night and wishing each other pleasant dreams. Afterwards, Marinette rolled over and flopped onto her pillow face-first.

"It sounds to me," offered Tikki, "that no bridges have been burned, everyone's still on good terms, and you're all doing the best you can. You should be able to sleep well tonight, Marinette."

"That's the thing about phrasing, though," Marinette smiled, rolling over slightly to face her. "There's a difference between 'should' and 'will.'"

* * *

The next morning, Marinette came flying down the stairs to the bakery, expecting promised company... but took the last few steps slowly, holding her breath.

As she emerged, she saw Adrien facing away from her, talking with her father.

"When I picked on you about beating up my daughter yesterday, I was _joking_," Tom told him, sympathetically. "You didn't have to let her take revenge for something you hadn't done!"

"It wasn't a matter of letting... _or_ revenge," Adrien replied. "A simple training accident, that's all. Completely understandable, and completely forgiven."

"Still. Is there anything in the store you'd like to take with you, that might give you any comfort?" asked Tom.

"I'll bet there is," winked Sabine, noting Marinette's approach.

"Do I even want to see?" asked Marinette... who then winced as Adrien turned in her direction. "I am _so sorry,_" she repeated, covering her face with her hands.

"It looks far worse than it is. Honest," Adrien assured her, as she peeked through her fingers at her handiwork; as Adrien had hinted, the swelling wasn't dramatic, but his black eye was. "I'll be able to cover it up with a little makeup after the first day or so, once I'm no longer putting ice on it. So today will be the worst of it."

As they exited the bakery and headed for the school, Marinette asked, "What are you going to tell people about that?"

Adrien stared back, solemnly. "I'm going to turn around and point at you and yell 'MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG DID THIS!', when anyone asks. 'She's a _killer!'_"

Marinette stared back, startled... then started laughing once he did, too. "I'd deserve that," she admitted. "And if I'm going to get a reputation around our class, I suppose that's not the worst one that I could have."

* * *

The pre-class chatter was loud and boisterous as the door opened and Marinette and Adrien. Given her front-row seat and her personality, it didn't surprise either of them that Chloé's voice rose above the din.

"So I _told _him," she brayed, "there was no _way_ that I would _pay_ him for that! Not with that kind of workmanship, and besides, it should've been enough that he was doing me a favor when he _OH MY GAWWWWWD!"_

All heads in the room turned to her squawk, then to what she was looking at... which was a battered Adrien giving a small wave in response, with an embarrassed Marinette by his side.

"Oh. My. _Gawwwwd, _what _happened_ to you, Adrien?" Chloé cried out. "Who _did_ that to you?"

"It was a _minor_ accident," Adrien began. "Someone I know has some very fast reflexes. I got cocky and tried to get fancy, and I got caught at it."

"Oh, wow! She really _did_ say 'no,'" Kim quipped, getting a chuckle from Max and a quizzical look from Alix and Mylène, among others.

"I will be apologizing for that until the _end of time_. You can be sure of that," mumbled Marinette.

"It was _my _fault. Seriously! But we will argue _that_ until the end of time," Adrien smiled back. As Marinette reached the first step to climb up to her seat, Adrien stopped her briefly, catching her hand with his.

"I _mean it_, Marinette. We can talk again later, okay? But you _know_ how I feel... about _what happened,_ I mean."

His soft eyes caught her, as did his subtext.

"I know, Adrien. I know," she smiled.

Marinette ascended to her seat, aware of the many eyes on her and Alya hissing _What HAPPENED?_ next to her, but she remained silent at first. Adrien turned towards Ms. Bustier, preparing to explain to her his need to get a fresh icepack from the nurse's office at intervals.

A thought occurred to Marinette, and she turned and faced across the aisle.

"Kim?" she asked, a bit icily. "What, exactly, is it that you think I said 'no' _to?_"

Kim's face froze... as did Adrien's, who spun towards them with a look of horror at the lascivious implication. An undercurrent of "_Oooooohhh!" _floated around the room.

_"And_ that I would've been so offended by that I would've punched Adrien in the face?" continued Marinette, with a death stare aimed his way.

The class turned from Marinette, whose challenge seemed to have at least some humor behind it, to Adrien, who looked _stunned_, to a clearly nervous and embarrassed Kim. He raised his hand.

"Uh, Ms. Bustier?" he asked, sheepishly. "May I be excused to go get Adrien another icepack?"


	10. Chapter 10

Throw Me Around Like One Of Your French Girls, Chapter 10

* * *

As class ended, Marinette gathered her belongings and rose from her seat. The first to reach her was a nervous-looking Kim, with a mortified Adrien right behind him.

"I _totally_ didn't mean what I said like that..." stammered Kim.

"I didn't say _anything_ that would've have implied..." Adrien blurted out.

"He really didn't..."

"It was just a stupid locker-room conversation..."

"Not _that_ kind of locker-room conversation... not that we even _have_ those..."

"I'm not even sure what those kinds _are_..."

Marinette interrupted their back-and-forth apology with a grin and a gesture. "_All right_, already. I'm not angry with either one of you," she smiled. "Kim, I know that you didn't mean what you said _that _way... it just sounded close enough to it that I had to comment on it."

"You're sure? We're good?" asked Kim. "I did _not _want to hurt your feelings."

"We're fine," replied Marinette. "The look on your face when I asked you _my_ question was more than worth it. We're definitely even."

"O-okay. Good," Kim breathed with a smile, heading for the door.

She turned to Adrien, who looked a little more relaxed but still somewhat agitated. "Walk with me for a minute, okay?" she asked, to which he nodded.

* * *

Out in the hallway, Adrien faced Marinette. "I just want to repeat, I have _never_ told the guys that I was going to... you know... _make a pass_ at you, or anything like that," he began, haltingly. "That just isn't something that I would ever try to brag about."

"Adrien Agreste! You don't think that I know you much better than that?" Marinette chided him. "C'mere."

She picked a quiet spot in the hallway and sat down, with Adrien joining her there. "Come on, now. You are the sweetest boy I know, and certainly the most gentlemanly," she told him in a soothing voice. "Talking big behind my back like that would be way out of character for you. I didn't think that for a second."

"I'm glad that you think so... because you're right, I think it would be," he agreed.

"So what _did_ you guys talk about, then?" wondered Marinette.

As Adrien's face reddened, she reached out and took his hand. "Look, it's fine if you did talk about me. I won't hide that I've been pouring my heart out to my girlfriends _all year long _as to what to do about _you_," she admitted. "I'm just curious what they wanted to know."

"Oh, it's nothing major," said Adrien. "The other day, at lunchtime, I think it was Nathaniel who started it. He was wondering if you and I were dating now... and then everybody else kind of piled on and asked 'Why not?'"

"Oh!" replied Marinette. "Wow. Where were they a couple of months ago, when they could've been asking that for me?"

"So, what Kim was _referring_ to..." Adrien continued, "was that he had asked me what would happen if I asked you to... be mine... _out loud._ And I said that you'd said, 'What about your girlfriend?' Because that's what you _did _ask right away."

"Well, of course," Marinette answered. "That's more than a little bit important."

"And _he_ said, 'Ohhhh! You _did_ ask? And she said _No_?'"

Marinette went quiet, with a funny look on her face.

"Are you all right?" asked Adrien.

"Yeah," she answered. "But when he puts it like that... it sounds so crazy that I had to remind myself that it almost really _did _happen."

_He's certainly hinted that he's interested in me that way,_ Marinette thought. _More than just hinted, even. Which is why we agreed to hold back and stop short of that._

_But when he asked me to kiss him on the lips yesterday, _she shuddered, _WAS that... asking me out loud?_

_Were we really just a heartbeat away?_

* * *

The atmosphere in the Agreste mansion at that moment was somewhat tense.

"_Really_, Vincent," Gabriel snapped. "I cannot understand how we are even having this conversation."

"I put in ze request for ze time off quite some time ago," the photographer insisted. "You cannot be _serious_ about zis."

"And you are a professional. You should understand the nature of this business, how plans can and do change with circumstances," frowned Gabriel. "The boy's eye will be swelled and discolored for days, and there is nothing more that we can do about it! Next weekend is the one and only time that makes sense for rescheduling this shoot."

"Zat is my son's birthday weekend. I have planned a trip with him for months," argued Vincent. "He will be heartbroken if I cannot spend zat day with him."

"So, what, then? We should just scrap this new line, perhaps? Or simply choose not to advertise it and hope that our customers will happen to stumble upon it?" sighed Gabriel, closing his eyes. "We should reshuffle dozens of workers' schedules, endanger the reception of this line and hurt the bottom line to accommodate... a child's temporary disappointment?"

"_And_ I had been counting on the payment for zis shoot to help _pay for_ our trip_,_" insisted Vincent. "Zere is no possibility of an advance, at least?"

"We have been over this many times, Vincent," Gabriel grumbled. "You are on retainer as our primary photographer, and receive additional stipends per _completed_ shoot, plus bonuses as warranted. Your regular retainer fee will be paid, as always... but I am not about to compensate you for services that you have not yet rendered. This is a _business_, Vincent, not a charity."

"So zere is nothing to be done," Vincent griped. "Am I the only photographer zat you have, all of a sudden?"

Gabriel's manner grew quite cold. "_No_, as a matter of fact... you are not," he intoned with authority. "You _are_ my primary photographer because you possess a genuine talent for it... and because you have always taken your role seriously, as a professional, not allowing petty concerns to intrude upon it. _If_ the latter is no longer the case... perhaps I should give some consideration as to the hierarchy in that department, going forward."

"You would not _dare_," Vincent challenged him. "You know what I bring to the table, and zat my assistants are not ready for zat responsibility."

"There is nothing on this Earth that I would not dare," replied Gabriel, icily. As he turned and strode away, he added in a dismissive tone, "Something to which you would do well to give further thought."

Vincent remained where he stood, burning inside, but not daring to say any more.

* * *

"You're right. I haven't asked that... out loud," Adrien replied, choosing his words carefully. The _Yet_ at the end of the sentence went unspoken for now.

"Because you know that I won't let you," Marinette answered. _Not yet, if I can help myself_, she thought. "Not unless you are _sure_ that your conscience is clear. And you told me that you and Kagami are still talking things through."

"We... are," said Adrien, slowly. "We have started talking about... certain things... but we're meeting in person tomorrow, over lunch. There are some things that shouldn't happen over the phone."

His implication was clear to Marinette. "You'd better be _very_ sure," she cautioned him. "It would break my heart for you to lose her as a friend... or for me to lose her, either. And I know that you two need to remain close."

"If there's one thing that I do understand... it's what it's like to be lonely," Adrien replied. "And I will never want to leave her feeling that way."

"Good."

"Are you all right with that?" asked Adrien, softly. "If things were to... change for me in that area, and my conscience really was clear?"

"I'm... I'm working out how I feel about a lot of things," smiled Marinette, "but I'm taking that one step at a time. Ask me again then, and we'll see."

"That sounds like the right approach."

Marinette took a moment to look around her at the empty hallway. "We are _so_ late for our next class right now," she noted.

"Uh... yeah," agreed Adrien. "But we needed this."

The two of them stood up and hugged briefly. Before they dashed down hallways separately, Adrien grinned, "Worst case scenario... at least we'd get to spend detention together."

Luckily for both of them, most French schoolteachers are sufficiently accustomed to tardiness-due-to-matters-of-the-heart to simply route around it.

* * *

At the end of the day, students scattered out of the school's front door as usual, and couples paired up as they were wont to do.

Adrien approached the family sedan with Marinette close behind him. The Gorilla remained behind the wheel; Nathalie stood beside the open rear door, her gaze fixated on them.

"Hurry along, Adrien," she directed him. "Good day, Miss Dupain-Cheng."

"Good... day to you too, Ma'am?" replied Marinette, hesitantly.

Adrien turned and looked at Nathalie, wondering what the rush was, then turned back to Marinette. "I will keep you in the loop on everything," he told her, "and I'm sure that Kagami will, too. She really values your friendship; I don't want you to ever doubt that."

"I do believe you," Marinette said. "But I'll feel better when it's after this weekend and she _still_ says that."

_"Now,_ please."

Adrien looked again at Nathalie, with an expression of _Really?_ on his face... then squeezed Marinette's hand gently. "I'll talk to you soon," he said as he climbed into the car.

Marinette watched Nathalie walk to the front passenger seat, wondering if she should say anything, wondering if Nathalie _would_ say anything more... but silence remained in place. Nathalie's face remained impassive; there was a hint of a curt nod as the door closed, but nothing more.

As the car pulled away, Marinette felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay? Is everything all right?" asked Alya.

"Yeah, I think so..." mumbled Marinette. "Close enough, anyway."

"I was wondering," Alya continued. "We haven't really hung out this week, and _you_ look like someone who's got a story to tell and could use a friendly ear to bend. Want some company?"

Marinette's smile returned to her face. "I would love that," she replied. "You know me so well. C'mon!"

* * *

Up around the bend, Nathalie turned and began reciting Adrien's afternoon schedule to him, but paused quickly when she saw the perturbed look on his face.

"Hmmm?" she inquired.

"What was _that _all about?" grumbled Adrien. "Hustling me into the car like that, so that I couldn't talk to Marinette. What was the rush?"

Nathalie replayed Gabriel's instructions in her mind. _Do not be too familiar with the girl as of yet,_ he'd said to her. _Remain c__ool, but not cold. Just enough to make her wonder. I wish to test something sometime soon._

"Nothing of importance," Nathalie replied. "With schedules shifting as they are, because of _this,_" she said, gesturing to her eye that mirrored Adrien's injured one, "we need to keep every other thing moving as smoothly as possible right now. Which includes your whereabouts and your piano lessons."

"I am well aware of that," Adrien frowned. "That didn't mean that you had to be rude to her."

"Was I?" ventured Nathalie. "I do not believe so. I greeted her by name, didn't I? And I did not say a word about your injury or who had caused it. But your father does not pay me to hold extended sidewalk conversations."

"I suppose not."

Adrien let that simmer for a kilometer or so, then asked, "All right, then. What are the revised plans for today?"

"Today? Nothing has changed that I am aware of," Nathalie rattled off. "The weekend's photoshoot has been bumped out to next Saturday, so do not make any plans for then."

"The only plans I have right now are with Kagami tomorrow afternoon," said Adrien. "Which must happen, to be at all fair to her."

Nathalie studied his face for a moment. "So... you've made your decisions there, have you?" she asked.

"I think I have," he replied.

_Interesting,_ Nathalie thought as she faced forward once more, listening to Adrien's explanation of how he intended to keep Marinette, Kagami and himself all at peace with each other. _I am sure that Gabriel will want to know all of this. He has hinted to me that Marinette has piqued his interest somewhat; this may alter the role he has in mind for her to play._

* * *

The girls dashed upstairs, greeting Marinette's parents individually as they passed them. As they entered Marinette's bedroom, she dropped her books on her desk, twirled towards her small mini-couch and performed a theatrical faceplant onto it, with a _THWUMP!_

"I'm sensing a little stress," Alya quipped.

The prone Marinette lifted up her hand, with her fingers narrowly apart. "_That_ close," she moaned. "Adrien and I are _that close_ to being together. I can _taste it!_ He gives me those soft eyes and I'm... just... _oooooohhh!"_

_"Finally," _grinned Alya.

"But this isn't how I wanted it to happen," Marinette continued. "I'm excited, I'm tingly, sure! But I'm on the edge of what I've wanted all year and a big part of me feels _terrible_ about it."

"I _really_ don't think that you should feel like that," Alya consoled her, pulling the computer desk chair closer and sitting in it. "He's the one reaching out to _you_ now."

"I know," said Marinette, flipping onto her back. "And that's what my Mama and Papa say. And that's what the Gorilla said... well, explained in his own way. Adrien's bodyguard... you've seen him, right?"

"Yeah. His driver," agreed Alya. "The guy that's built like a bison. So what is _Adrien_ saying to you?"

"That he's meeting with Kagami tomorrow... to 'talk about things,'" Marinette replied, making air quotes with her fingers. "Implying very strongly that the two of them are breaking up... because he's fallen for me. And she knows it, and I know it. And I can't _not_ feel guilty about that."

"Marinette..." Alya ventured. "You have been in love with Adrien almost the whole time that I've known you. Everyone but Adrien knew that. _Kagami_ must know that."

"She does."

Marinette sat up as she continued, facing Alya, slumped down slightly. "And _she _gets it. She told me that she saw Adrien... falling for me... a long time ago. That she thought that I was stringing him along at first, him and Luka, but that she knows much better now. That she held off making her move on Adrien so that I could make mine, or so he could make his, until neither one happened and she just couldn't wait any more."

"But now it's out in the open, right?" said Alya.

"It is... but that doesn't mean that Kagami wants to just let go and let me have him," countered Marinette. "How did she put it... she was 'relieved that it was finally a fair competition, but it remained one that she planned to win.'"

"Of course," smirked Alya.

"And it is not as if he's going to pick one of us and break everything off cleanly with the other," Marinette pointed out. "She and I are friends, and intend to remain friends. Kagami's mother has business dealings with the Agrestes, and Adrien's father has been nudging them together. If he starts seeing me, he and Kagami will keep spending time close together... and I want them to. I want the_ three of us_ to do things together. For her to spend more time with all of us, too; I think that you and our other friends will really like her, once you get to know her better."

She looked over at Alya with sad eyes. "But this is still going to hurt her. And I still hate that."

Alya leaned forward. "So... what, then? Are you two going to share custody of Adrien's lips?"

Marinette looked startled by that. "W-what do you mean by that?" she gasped. "Kagami... kind of... hinted at that once? Then she pulled it back."

"Oh, I'm not saying that's the answer," cautioned Alya. "Like, I can't picture sharing Nino with anyone else, right? But if you _have_ to share Adrien's time with her like that, and they're already close, and his father will keep shoving them together, and they've already been kissy like you've told me... maybe that could lighten his burden a bit, if he didn't have to be exclusive with _either_ of you?"

Alya took Marinette's silence and facial expression as something in between thoughtful consideration and abject terror. "But only if you were _all_ okay with that," she added.

Marinette stared at Alya with wide eyes. "I think... I think... I don't _know_ what I think," she stammered. "The friendship, the closeness, the time spent together? I want Kagami to share in all of that, just like I was ready to be all of that for Adrien if he kept dating Kagami. But the _kissing?_"

"I... just don't know about that," admitted Marinette. "It's not something that I'd ever pictured. Kissing... _means_ so many things. And I don't know if Adrien can share himself that way, either."

"Okay, then; pull back. Don't think about that for now. Try it as a real couple first," counseled Alya. "Because unless I'm very wrong about this... you and Adrien are about to be one."

"Uh-huh," Marinette agreed. "We're _this far away_ from that."

She clasped her head in her hands. "And all I can do is _WAIT AND SEE_ what happens next!" she wailed.

Leaning back, Marinette waved her hands melodramatically... then lost her balance and somersaulted over the back of the mini-couch. Once Alya ascertained that Marinette wasn't hurt, both girls broke out in laughter.

* * *

"I see."

Gabriel sat at his desk, his hands folded. "So... no surprises, then. Adrien has made his decision for now, and he intends to break it to Kagami in a gentle manner."

"That was how he described it to me in the car," Nathalie confirmed. "Neither one of them wishes to hurt Kagami's feelings, but... things are as they are."

She paused, then added, "And as far as Marinette goes... I followed your instructions to the letter. Letting the situation simmer without hinting one way or the other. If I may ask... what is it that you have in mind there?"

A smile slowly formed.

"A subtle plan... tugging on some threads, here and there, and seeing what unravels," Gabriel replied. "I will be taking trips... downstairs at regular intervals for the near future, as I suspect that opportunity may be knocking very soon. Few feel romantic yearnings as strongly as the young... and few feel quite so despondent when setbacks occur. Tell me, Nathalie... how often do teenage love triangles resolve cleanly?"

"I cannot say that I've been in any... but I wouldn't imagine that many do," Nathalie replied.

"Precisely. So we have Miss Tsurugi, whose first romance appears to be coming to an abrupt end. I have counseled Adrien to be gentle with her, naturally... but I strongly suspect that breaking up is not _her_ desire. We have Miss Dupain-Cheng, whose concern for her friend is admirable... and may lead to emotions more useful to me. Anxiety over whom Adrien may choose, for instance... or fear that she does not have our favor, or that we are indeed holding a grudge over Adrien's injury... or guilt over playing the interloper. She seems the type to lean the latter way."

"She seems a sweet girl, yes. One who puts others above herself," noted Nathalie. "You have aimed in her direction before, as I recall."

"Yes, I have," agreed Gabriel. "And she has proven to be an elusive target... the only classmate of Adrien's that I have never enthralled fully. It may prove interesting to see what doubts and demons lurk beneath her surface."

"If you're not careful, you might hit Adrien with your Akuma, instead," mused Nathalie. "If Kagami reacts poorly, that will weigh quite heavily upon him. He is quite a sensitive young man."

"Oh, I have no wish to ensnare _him_, of course," Gabriel assured her. "But he has entered into my calculations as well. If he is visibly upset, that will surely resonate with either young lady - or with both, causing them to become distraught as well... and even more opportune targets than before. And so I am content to let this play out however it will, all on its own..."

"...Because no matter who emerges with Adrien's heart, you will win once the smoke clears," Nathalie smiled. "With at least one tempting target, and perhaps two. You are not worried that striking one of them now could cause problems, given their delicate romantic entanglement?"

"Pshaw," scoffed Gabriel. "Adrien's compassion will serve him well. He will be ready to comfort either young lady as needed, I expect. A white knight riding in to soothe whomever is more thoroughly bruised by the experience."

"Hmmm. You certainly seem to have the angles thought out, Sir."

"Isn't young love grand?" smirked Gabriel.

* * *

At supper, Sabine watched her daughter push food around her plate with a fork, her mind quite some distance away.

"You're not going to feel better by starving yourself, dear," she told Marinette in a light tone.

"Oh!" Her mother's voice snapped Marinette out of her thoughts, and she raised a bite to her mouth, dutifully. "Everything does taste very good," she apologized.

"That's good to know, but that's the least of my worries right now," Sabine soothed her. "How are you holding up?"

"My stomach's in a knot," Marinette admitted. "For good _and_ bad reasons."

"Marinette," Tom interjected, "we know how much that you want to avoid hurting Kagami, or causing problems for _anyone_. But what's happening here... it's not _your doing_. You're not telling Adrien what he should or shouldn't do; he's making his own decisions on this. Please remember that."

"I know, Papa. Thank you for that," replied Marinette. "It's just that... like... I can see a car crash about to happen. And when it does, Kagami will be hurt and I'll walk away with her boyfriend. It doesn't seem fair. I may not be the one driving that car... but I should at least be yelling 'Stop!'"

"I don't know that you _could_ stop it now, Marinette," Sabine argued. "Because what happens next is between Adrien and Kagami. From what you have been telling us, he certainly seems to have his own mind made up about his feelings."

"And what happens after that is a separate matter," Tom added. "You _could_ have told him 'You are dating Kagami; you need to keep dating her and forget about being with me, and that's that.' But if his heart is no longer in it with Kagami... how do you think that she would feel about that?"

"It would be one thing for Kagami to feel like she's won Adrien's heart," Sabine agreed. "But if she feels like it's only because you said 'no' to him... well, no one wants to be a consolation prize."

"That's... true," mused Marinette, her face brightening slightly. "And Kagami and I did talk about that. She knows that I've been respecting boundaries, and making sure that Adrien does, too. I want _all three_ of us to remain close. I'm just not sure if that's going to stay that way."

"Perhaps Kagami will continue to be understanding. Perhaps she won't," Tom shrugged. "Much of that depends on how _Adrien_ handles this, and it sounds like he's as intent on not wanting to hurt her as you are. She may not know how she truly feels until it happens, or until she sees Adrien kissing _you_."

"Which is the _other_ set of butterflies in my stomach," Marinette admitted, trying not to blush.

"And for that part, you should just enjoy it and let the two of _us_ do the worrying," grinned Sabine. "But if anyone will find a way to keep you and Kagami and Adrien all close... it will be you. That's who you are, Marinette."

"Thank you," smiled Marinette. "Both of you. That does make me feel a little better about this."

"Something else that will make me feel better," advised Sabine, "is watching you eating your supper."

* * *

Later in the evening...

The coverings on the observation window in Hawkmoth's lair opened wide, allowing a beam of moonlight to illuminate the tall figure at the room's center. Apart from the gentle whirring of the motors by the window, all was silent therein.

A mind reached out, scanning in a particular direction, then casting its net slightly wider, then wider still.

"Hmmph," mused Hawkmoth. "Darkwings... fall."

As his transformation reversed itself, Gabriel noted to Nooroo, "The time is not yet right... but that does not surprise me very much. The stage is almost ready, but it is still being set."

"There are certainly negative emotions _somewhere_ in Paris, Master," Nooroo replied. "Not... that I am encouraging you to chase after them."

"Certainly not," smiled Gabriel. "That would be quite a change in direction for you, Nooroo. Though if you _would_ decide to be a less reluctant partner in my work, I would not complain."

Nooroo closed his eyes and said nothing.

"I sense anxiety in both Marinette and Kagami, unless I am misreading their auras from afar," Gabriel continued. "But well within normal parameters, given the circumstances. Anticipation is the appetizer; the main course may well be served tomorrow."

"This doesn't bother you, Master?" wondered Nooroo. "Toying with your son's love life and emotions this way?"

Gabriel gave Nooroo a look that was difficult for the Kwami to fully read. "I... do not intend on wounding my son, _or_ his lady friends in ways that will linger. In point of fact, I am pleased that Adrien is working hard to keep _both_ of them in his good graces," he stated. "An impasse between Kagami and Adrien could harm my business with Madam Tsurugi, which would not serve me well at all. Miss Dupain-Cheng has significant potential; one does not discard a potential future asset lightly."

"And," he added, seeing Nooroo's frown deepen, "I assure you that I _do not_ want my son to suffer or struggle. If he finds happiness with either of them right now, I welcome that. Either one of them seems like an excellent match for him, at this age."

"...At this age?" asked Nooroo.

"He is fifteen, Nooroo," Gabriel replied. "He is choosing a first romance, not a future wife. He appears to have good instincts as to which types of young ladies to pursue. If they restrict themselves to admiring his face instead of breaking it, either one of them will be a suitable companion for the near future. And I will worry about the long-term when we are closer to that."

"He may have formed his own opinions on that, by that time," Nooroo smiled.

"He can try, at least," said Gabriel, dryly.

Nooroo flinched somewhat at the potential implication there. "So, you are fine with either of them dating Adrien... but you're still planning on Akumatizing one or the other very soon?" he asked.

"Why not?" Gabriel shrugged. "Kagami has been through the experience twice before, with no harm done to her. And Marinette... may prove interesting in that respect. She has driven an Akuma away from herself, which is no small feat, and the one time that I did make contact with her, the result seemed _quite_ promising before I was forced to disengage. Your capturing her might produce a villain of exceptional potency."

"Which is what we always return to," sighed Nooroo.

"It is. Because we _must_," snapped Gabriel, leaning close to Nooroo. "You know what my primary concern is and always will be. If you are so concerned about my son's love life... help me ensure that whichever girl he chooses will meet his mother _in person."_

Gabriel gestured to Nooroo to return to his usual hiding place, as he stepped towards the elevator platform and closed the observation window once more. "Tomorrow is another day," he noted.

And despite Gabriel's frequent lapses of judgment in other areas... he was not wrong about that.

* * *

"Good morning, Marinette."

A tiny voice by Marinette's ear encouraged her eyes to face the morning light. "H-hi, Tikki. Good morning," Marinette managed. "What time is it?"

"Nine-ish. I thought that you might want to get your day started before anyone comes up looking for you," suggested Tikki.

"Yeah, I know the 'teenagers, sleeping their lives away' lecture by now," smiled Marinette. "I'll get up."

"Did you get much sleep?" wondered Tikki. "I know that you were restless for a while there."

"It took a while," Marinette admitted. "Maybe three or four o'clock."

"Are you feeling okay?"

Marinette paused before answering. "I am and I'm not," she ventured. "I've got the jitters. I'll be staring at my phone all day."

Tikki floated down and landed on Marinette's lap. "Just remember," she said, "that _you_ have as much say in what happens next as anyone else. Just because Adrien comes running to you and says, 'We broke up' doesn't mean that you have to dash straight into his arms. I mean, I know you. You probably _will_," Tikki giggled.

"I won't deny that it's an option," Marinette giggled back.

"But you have every right to say, 'Let's go slow, let's see how we feel tomorrow, or next week, or whenever,'" Tikki pointed out. "Or _he_ may want to let things breathe for a little while. This isn't Adrien regaining his freedom from something bad; what happens will be emotional for both of them."

"Uh-huh," agreed Marinette.

"_Or_ you can go straight to the kissing with him. That might not be wrong, either," shrugged Tikki. "But I don't want you to feel like Adrien can stroll in and declare, 'I choose _you!_' and you should just swoon in happiness at his feet."

"Though that _does_ remain an option," Marinette noted. "Yes, I know exactly what you mean, Tikki. If we're going to do this, we're going to do this _right_. That's what this whole back-and-forth has been about, ever since I confessed my feelings to him."

"But one way or another," she added, "I have a feeling that my life is going to change today."

* * *

Adrien Agreste stood in front of his mirror for the fourth time that morning, adjusting his hair and clothing in small ways. It wasn't that large adjustments were necessary, but the ritual was comforting in and of itself; it gave his hands and mind something else on which to concentrate.

"You're not going there to impress her today," Plagg snarked from nearby. "You don't have to have everything just perfect."

"I know, I know. I'm just... nervous. I do need to get this right," Adrien answered. "How this goes this afternoon, I mean."

"Run it by me one more time, then," offered Plagg. "Third time today's the charm."

Adrien raised an eyebrow at his Kwami's remark, then sighed. "I have to make sure that Kagami knows that this is _not her fault_," he declared. "That this is not because of anything that she did or didn't do. That I had a wonderful time as her sort-of boyfriend... and I don't regret giving it a try. That I am very happy that she reached out to me like she did, that she _wanted to_ be mine... and that I absolutely still need her in my life."

"It's not you, it's me," Plagg summarized. "That old chestnut."

"A little bit, yes?" Adrien replied, glancing away from the mirror in Plagg's direction. "That I didn't know some _very_ vital information before I said 'yes' to Kagami. Information that Kagami had tried to tell me, that _Marinette_ had tried so hard to tell me, and I hadn't been listening, or believing it when I had been. And that is completely on me."

"Well, between that and what Marinette told you that _they_ had talked about... it sounds like you're on the right track."

"And..." Adrien continued, "that I had one other complication even before Marinette confessed."

That made Plagg halt. "Are you... talking about what I think you are?"

"That I hesitated not because of Marinette... but because of Ladybug?" said Adrien. "I am."

"You're... just going to drop that on Kagami now?" marveled Plagg.

"Why not? It's the truth, and she deserves the whole truth," Adrien parried. "But I think it's important for her to know for sure that Marinette wasn't her rival, so to speak, when Kagami and I got together. That I really didn't know that Marinette was interested... but that someone else was filling my mind and making me pause."

Seeing Plagg's skeptical impression, Adrien continued, "I'm not going to tell her that I'm Chat Noir, of course! But I have a history with Ladybug as Adrien, too. Half of Paris watched me jump off a _building_ for her. On the day that Kagami became Riposte, she had a front-row seat for Ladybug and I; it shouldn't be a shocking surprise."

"Hmmph. Good luck with that, then," Plagg remarked. "What are you, um... going to tell _Marinette_ about Ladybug?"

"I'm... debating how to bring that up with her," said Adrien, after some brief thought. "She probably ought to know that if it hadn't been for my crush on Ladybug, I don't think that I would've been so blind to her for so long. But this situation is a little bit different."

"How so?"

"I still care for Ladybug very much," Adrien replied, his face solemn. "But I've heard 'no' from her enough times to realize that it's simply not going to happen. I needed to move on from chasing a hopeless dream... and Kagami helped me do that. She made me realize that I could... change targets, slowly, and I did. I will always be grateful to her for that."

"But when it comes to Marinette," he smiled, "she shouldn't have to worry that I'm holding back for someone else. Because, with her... I don't feel like I want to hesitate any more."

Adrien's phone buzzed; he checked it, and saw a message from Nathalie telling him that his car for his lunch meeting was ready.

"It's time," he said.


	11. Chapter 11

Throw Me Around Like One Of Your French Girls, Chapter 11

* * *

The sound of a familiar car engine roused Marinette Dupain-Cheng from her slumber. As if summoned by a chorus of angels, she rose from her bed and climbed the ladder up to her balcony. Running to the guardrail, she looked down to the street expectantly...

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the Agreste sedan turn the corner and drive slowly down her street, stopping in front of Tom & Sabine's Boulangerie. The sunroof was open, and the upper half of the boy of her dreams emerged through it, a smile on his face and a song in his heart.

As the car came to a complete stop, he leaped through the sunroof (_my, he's so agile!_) and dashed to the side of the building. She wondered what he would do next, until he produced a tall ladder as if from nowhere and leaned it against the building, the top of it clanking against the guardrail next to her.

"Be careful!" she called down to him, noting the height of the ladder involved, but he was undeterred. As he ascended, Marinette saw a red rose clasped in his teeth and a backpack over both shoulders. Even without seeing any more, her instincts told her that it contained the keys to the house that they would share (_but whatever will I tell my Mama and Papa? We are so young! This is so sudden!_ she worried, but only momentarily) and the fluffy hamster of her dreams.

Adrien climbed higher and higher, his pace quickening as he neared the top, until he was facing her at last. With a mighty leap, he vaulted over the guardrail onto the balcony, knelt before her with glistening green eyes, and asked with a glance the question that was burning through his soul.

"Yes," Marinette replied, teary-eyed. "Yes, yes, _yes!_"

Leaning forward into that first, perfect kiss, pink clouds billowing around the two of them, she closed her eyes...

* * *

_"Hellllllllp!"_

The cry of terror startled Marinette, causing her eyes to flash open. No ladder... no rose... no hamster... no Adrien's embrace for her to sink into.

She shook her head briefly, trying to regain her senses. _What in the world was I imagining?_ she wondered. _And who was yelling-_

_"SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEE!"_

Marinette ran to the far end of the balcony, looking out towards the school grounds in the distance. A boy was running across the courtyard, a streak of blonde hair leaping out at her - _Adrien!_ she panicked.

_He's not running towards me... he's running like he's being chased. As if he's running for his life!_

A blur came into focus behind him as he dashed across the grass; it was some distance behind him, but closing in steadily.

It was -

"Kagami! _No!_ Don't do it!" burst out of Marinette at full volume.

The slim figure chasing Adrien looked her way momentarily, then refocused on Adrien. The unsheathed katana in her hands indicated just what she had in mind for the boy who'd just dumped her so that he could be with Marinette.

"Ladybug! Please help me!" shouted Adrien in desperation, his arms flailing as he ran.

_I have to do it! I don't care about my secret identity - Adrien's life is in danger! _panicked Marinette. Without another thought, she called out:

_"SPOTS ON!"_

_..._but nothing happened.

Startled, Marinette reached for her ears, and was horrified to find both earlobes empty.

_WHAT? Where did they GO?_ Marinette's inner thoughts shrieked.

She watched in agony as Kagami closed the distance on Adrien, swinging the hilt end of her blade at his head. Hit hard, he stumbled forward and rolled twice in the grass, unconscious.

Kagami turned to face Marinette, and even from a distance, her words were clear...

"I'll deal with him later. Now it's _your_ turn. Longg... _bring the storm."_

In a blinding white flash, Kagami's slim form was transformed into Ryuko, her clothes and weapon turning predominantly crimson.

"He betrayed our love... because of _you_," Ryuko snarled. "And we know the proper fate of all betrayers."

Marinette wanted to run... _needed _to run... but her legs felt anchored to the spot where she stood. She felt a scream coming on as Ryuko took a mighty leap her way, clearing the distance between them in a single bound, her sword held before her, ready to strike.

Involuntarily, her arms went up, and her eyes snapped shut...

* * *

_"BOOOOOOOO!"_

_Huh?_ boggled Marinette.

She reopened her eyes... and found herself on a stage in her normal attire, sitting in a chair.

"Where... am I?" she mumbled, trying to focus. Glancing to her left, she saw Adrien sitting a few seats away from her in the row of chairs; he looked at her with some concern, but appeared nearly as unsettled as she felt. She shifted her weight as if to rise from her chair and approach him, but he gave her a subtle hand gesture to stay put.

"And _this_," a familiar voice rang out, "is our second guest. The young lady who saw her best friend happy at last, enjoying his first romance, but that wasn't enough for her!"

Marinette's head turned towards the speaker, who turned to face her. She recognized him instantly as the host of a popular afternoon talk show, one infamous for its ambushes, paternity tests, tales of infidelity and skirmishes.

"She held a secret deep within her for months, one that she could never say aloud... her forbidden love for Adrien," the host's mocking voice intoned. "She fumbled her way through many attempts, to be sure..."

A television screen behind her burst into life, playing a highlight reel of the many mishaps that had complicated Marinette's quest for Adrien. Pratfall after pratfall, fractured sentences, unsigned gifts, the bag with Master Fu's medicine, more pratfalls, Jagged Stone's commentary on her wall of pictures, her embrace of what she thought was a wax statue...

Helplessly, Marinette shook her head in disbelief. _How can they even KNOW about any of those moments? _her brain screamed. _Let alone have FOOTAGE of them?_

"But where her courage failed... her friend succeeded," announced the host. "Or at least she _thought_ our guest was her friend. At least until jealousy built up so high that she felt compelled to act."

"...No!" Marinette cried out, weakly. "That's not how it happened!"

"Slowly, one aikido lesson at a time, one seemingly innocent walk to school after another... she seduced this poor boy away from his one true love," the host cackled. "Shall we bring her out now, folks? The girl whose trust and innocence were betrayed so foully?"

Marinette whirled towards Adrien. "Say something!" she pleaded in his direction. "Tell them how it really went! All the things that you told me!"

Without a word, Adrien stared at her, with something of a sad expression... then scooted his chair backwards so that he would be out of the way.

The booing from the audience grew louder; Marinette looked out at them, and realized that family and friends were the bulk of it. Her mother and father, her classmates, her teachers, Master Fu - _where did HE come from? _\- nearly everyone she knew and many that she didn't were all voicing their loud disapproval of her.

A door opened on the far end of the stage, and Kagami stepped through it, wearing one of her usual school outfits. She kicked her shoes off, glaring at Marinette, and a bell rang loudly as if opening a wrestling match; the displeasure from the crowd turned instantly to lusty war cries, cheering on the imminent brawl.

"Here you go, ladies! Winner takes all!" declared the host, taking a step back to enjoy the spectacle.

Marinette rose from her chair and assumed the best defensive stance she could recall, or at least a crude imitation of it. Kagami's face was focused and furious as she ran in Marinette's direction; Marinette tried desperately to remember any of the aikido moves she'd learned, but all was a blur in the moment.

Just before she came within grasping range, Kagami thrust her hand forward and threw some kind of concealed powder into Marinette's face. Her eyes stinging, Marinette recoiled with a yelp...

* * *

"...Marinette?"

A low and gentle voice called Marinette back to reality. She spun her head around, looking for her assailant... but she was in her father's kitchen instead, sitting on the floor. The bowl of ingredients she had been working with lay beside her on the floor, most of its contents of flour and baking powder and spices either on Marinette or settling to the ground around her.

"Is everything all right - oh, my!"

Marinette looked to the door and saw her mother standing there, trying to suppress a laugh. Her father guided her back to her feet as she regained her bearings.

"I do believe that _someone's_ worries are getting the best of her today," Tom noted, gently. "This is why I steered you away from any kitchen duties involving knives, Marinette."

"I... I'm sorry, Papa," apologized Marinette. "I'll clean this up and start again. I know that I can do this so much better-"

"No," a smiling Tom directed her. "I can clean this up in five minutes; it's no trouble at all. I would rather have you go upstairs and relax, as best you can."

"Are you sure? I want to help," Marinette asked him.

Her phone buzzed at that moment; Marinette jumped as if she'd sat on a live electric wire, then lunged for it. Her eyes scanned the notification quickly...

"...Google Rewards wants to know my shopping habits," she sighed. "Not _now!_"

"Marinette... upstairs," her mother ordered her. "We've got this. We do appreciate your help very much, but for now, you're excused for a very good reason."

"All right." Marinette took a deep breath and forced a smile onto her face. "I'll do my best to relax, I promise. Message me if you need me for anything."

As she headed to the stairs, Sabine leaned down and held the dustpan as Tom readied the broom. "The poor dear," she smiled. "Do you think that she's more worried that she won't end up with Adrien... or that she _will?_"

"Either way, I think that we are in for quite a ride," chuckled Tom.

* * *

Nathalie watched Kagami and Adrien carefully as the latter rose to leave. The two of them stood face-to-face, seemingly unsure of how to proceed; was this a situation for affection, or for a handshake, or for one or the other to simply slink away?

A hug was the eventual choice, lingering just a little bit. Nathalie couldn't quite tell which of them had initiated it.

Adrien walked to the car, looking back at Kagami as he approached it; she gave him a little wave as he got there, which he returned. He climbed into the back seat with mixed emotions playing over his face; Nathalie glanced at Kagami, whose face appeared impassive from a distance.

"Well? Did things go well?" Nathalie asked as the car pulled away from the curb.

"I think they did," replied Adrien. "We're still on good terms. It seems like it, at least."

"Good. Your father will be happy about that," said Nathalie. "Are the two of you still romantically inclined?"

Adrien paused. "We are not," he allowed. "Not the way that we were last week. That's done, and I don't think that I could get it back."

"So you are with Marinette now?" Nathalie persisted.

"Not... yet?" replied Adrien, staring at her. "I haven't talked to her yet. This was a condition for me to even _ask_ Marinette. She could still say no, or not now, or not before _she_ talks it out with Kagami."

"That seems logical. I wish you the best of luck sorting that out," noted Nathalie. "Listen, I need to run a little... errand. I hope you don't mind if we take a detour on the way home."

"Do what you need to do," Adrien said. "I'll be back here... thinking."

The Gorilla turned to Nathalie with a look of mild surprise; she barked out directions to a shopping plaza on the north side of the city, significantly altering the route home. Once the change was made, Nathalie busied herself pounding out an update for Gabriel on her phone.

_I don't really need anything from the stores, _she smiled to herself, _but this is the opportunity Gabriel has been waiting for, I suspect. Which means that right about now, he most definitely needs a little bit of privacy._

She glanced back at Adrien, whose face betrayed the conflict within him that he had not spoken aloud.

* * *

Marinette trudged out of her shower, drying her hair with a towel. "Well, that wasn't embarrassing _at all_," she grumbled aloud as she donned a fresh set of clothes.

"As if that's the first time you've ever taken a flour bath down there," deadpanned Tikki. "It happens."

"It doesn't make it any less humiliating," sighed Marinette. "I feel like I can't do anything right, right now."

"Then don't do anything," Tikki advised. "You've already done more right than you know, in a lot of ways. You were correct earlier; one way or another, your life is about to change today. But that might be a small change. It might be good, it might be bad, it might just be another holding pattern. Don't work yourself into a panic over what you can't know yet."

"I understand that," Marinette agreed. "That doesn't make the anticipation any easier."

She sat down in her chair, looking exhausted. "Tikki, it's not just _my_ life that's about to change. It's Adrien's, too. It's Kagami's. If Adrien does what I think he's doing right now, this is going to hurt Kagami. This is going to strain all of our relationships. And it's because of _me; _it's because I couldn't just _tell_ Adrien how I felt before everything got so complicated."

"Part of me is overjoyed," she continued, "because Adrien might well be ready to give... _us_ a try. And part of me hates that part of me."

"Okay. First things first... _breathe_," Tikki directed her. "Because you're on the edge of freaking out about this, and you don't need to be."

As Marinette made herself relax, Tikki fluttered back and forth around her. "Listen to me, Marinette. You know that you have taken Kagami's feelings into consideration _every step of the way_. Beyond what almost anyone else would have done in this situation. You've made sure that _Adrien_ did the same. You know that. He knows that. _She_ knows that. Don't you think that everyone knows that?"

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions," moped Marinette.

"But other roads are, too."

Tikki hovered in front of Marinette's face, forcing her to meet her gaze. "You are doing the best you can to keep the peace and not let anyone be hurt. That's who you are. That's why you're Ladybug, because that's always your primary instinct," she said.

That got a small smile.

"That doesn't mean that everything always goes the way you planned it," continued Tikki. "Or that you can always protect everyone, or that no one around you ever gets hurt. That's going to happen now and then. But do you know another reason why you're Ladybug, Marinette?"

"What's that?" she asked.

"Because Master Fu saw something in you. How determined you are that when you _do_ see someone hurt, or something that's wrong, you always get back up and you always _try to make it right," _smiled Tikki. "You're allowed to be wrong, or make mistakes, and no one is even saying that you _have_ about this. You are allowed to want things, and to get what you want sometimes."

With that, Marinette's phone rang, indicating an incoming call.

"And you might be about to get it now," Tikki declared. "Good luck."

* * *

The coverings on the observation window in Hawkmoth's lair opened once more. The afternoon sun sent a handful of white butterflies scattering as a narrow beam of illumination spread across the floor.

"My son," the villain intoned dramatically, "appears to have served my purposes admirably. He has attracted two young women with his many charms, either of whom may prove to be a suitable companion for an Agreste in time. Each of them is fair of face, strong of will and thoughtful of others. Each has cast a tender eye upon my son. But only one of them may lay full claim upon his affections."

"Which may make this the critical moment. One of them has just seen her romance end abruptly, through no fault of her own, replaced by a person whom she considered a friend. The other is in uncertain waters, hesitant about hurting her friend, worried about the emotional impact on all three of them. If I recall anything about being a teenager in love... the anticipation alone must be _agonizing_ for her_."_

With a tiny wave of his hand, he summoned one of the butterflies to his outstretched palm. "How unpleasant for them," Hawkmoth smiled insincerely.

The hand closed, and purple energy crackled around the closed fist.

"Go, my little Akuma," Hawkmoth declared as he released it. "Take flight and await my orders. I do not know yet which of Adrien's paramours will be the most vulnerable, and I can only read their surface emotions until one of them dips low enough for you to make contact. So, hover and wait, and allow me to gauge the situation. Because from what I can tell so far... _both_ of them are vulnerable to some extent."

Purple wings flapped silently, carrying their owner up through the observation window and out into the Parisian sky.

* * *

Marinette pressed the button to accept the call. "H-hello, Kagami," she greeted her.

She studied the girl on the other end of the video call as carefully as she could. Kagami's face was rigid, betraying little emotion; it appeared to Marinette that Kagami was at home, presumably in her own room judging from the decor, though Marinette had not been there herself yet so as to know for sure.

"Hello, Marinette," Kagami returned the greeting. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm, uh, hanging in there," murmured Marinette. "I feel like I'm the one who should be asking that question, though."

"Adrien is on his way home now. He and I had lunch together, and discussed something important. I needed to speak with you before he does," said Kagami, evading the question neatly.

"I'm glad that you did. I wanted to talk with you before I do... um... _anything_ major," ventured Marinette. "How did it go?"

"Predictably."

Marinette flinched slightly at that as Kagami continued. "To jump directly to the point... Adrien and I are no longer a couple. Your path to him is clear."

Both girls fell silent.

* * *

As if listening intently to a faint radio signal and suddenly recognizing his favorite song, Hawkmoth's smile widened greatly.

"Perfect," he snickered. "As Nathalie had indicated, Adrien is occupied for the short term... and I strongly suspect that the girls are communicating as I speak. Without Adrien to mediate between the two of them, which emotion _du jour_ will emerge dominant? Anger at a friend's betrayal? Despair over hurting others? Remorse, perhaps, or fear of reprisal?"

"Stand by, my Akuma," Hawkmoth directed it from afar, "and prepare to _strike!_"

* * *

"I want you to kn-know, Kagami..." stammered Marinette, "that this was never my intent. I was actually happy for you and Adrien, that you'd found that kind of happiness together."

"I am aware of that," Kagami said, simply. "And it was appreciated."

"If he sh-should approach me, looking to start something between us..." Marinette trailed off.

_"Marinette_," Kagami interrupted in a firm voice. "You _know_ that he wants to. We need not dance around the truth or be less than honest with each other, especially now. Adrien broke up with me because he has fallen for you."

"That doesn't mean that I know what I should do about that yet," countered Marinette, weakly.

"I will tell you what I want you _not_ to do. I want you to not feel bad about what has happened," said Kagami. "And I mean that most sincerely."

Marinette stared at her phone. "Wh-hat?" she managed, caught off-guard.

* * *

Concentrating quite hard... Hawkmoth paused, opening his eyes.

_"...What?"_ he echoed. "The level of intensity... just plummeted!"

* * *

"Listen to me, please," Kagami began. "Just now, you have been handed the one thing that you wanted most, on a silver platter. Adrien's heart is yours for the taking. And yet, your first thought is of worry about _my_ feelings and soothing _my_ heartbreak."

She managed a small smile. "I cannot say that this does not sting, or that it will not continue for a long time," Kagami admitted. "The next time that Adrien and I are together... I am not sure quite what it will feel like for us. But after Adrien and I talked about this last night, I did some thinking... and I realized something rather important. Two things, actually."

"What were they?" asked Marinette.

"One was that, from the very beginning, from the day that I met Adrien, he fascinated me. He woke up something in me that I had never felt before; I yearned for him, _all_ of him, as if he was the only boy in existence," Kagami declared. "It was not mutual at first. He was fond of me, but not in that way. I was sure that with time and persistence, I could change his outlook and have him view me in a new light, and once he did, he would feel that same sort of... passion towards me."

"But even as a couple," she continued, "that never seemed to happen. He was always holding something back... something important."

"I _know_ that he cared for you. That he still does," argued Marinette. "I've watched the two of you together, before and after you made your move."

"I did not say that he did not enjoy my company," Kagami parried. "He most clearly did. And he did not complain about the kissing and the hugging, either... but I was always the one to initiate that. I was always the one to push forward, to ask for more, to _want_ more. He was perhaps too polite to decline... or too curious as to what it would be like to try it... but his heart was never in it completely. I understand that now. There was someone else."

"Are you sure about that?" wondered Marinette. "I mean... I didn't get the feeling that he thought of me... _that way_ until very recently. I was always just a friend to him."

"We could argue about that until dawn, I'm sure," Kagami replied. "But I will return to that point later... The other thing is this. Marinette, do you remember what I told you once I knew that you had finally confessed your feelings to him?"

Marinette thought for a moment. "That you were happy that it was finally a fair competition... but it was one that you intended to win," she recalled. "Was that it?"

"To the word, yes," smiled Kagami. "And I meant every word of that... but there was something that I did not comprehend. It was not a competition at all... because you were refusing to _compete."_

* * *

Marinette's head whirled, processing that statement.

"There is some truth to that," she allowed, eventually. "When we first met, I saw you as my rival; I won't lie about that. That day at the skating rink, I didn't know what to think of you."

"Nor I, you," Kagami replied. "You remember what I said before, how I suspected you were playing Adrien for a fool back then? I can only imagine how you pictured _me_."

"...Let's not go there," admitted Marinette. "Because we both know far better now."

"We do," smiled Kagami. "And I am very glad of that."

"But once you and Adrien were together... that day when you had kissed him, and then you got ice cream with him, and I saw the look on his face when he was with you... I stepped back, and I stayed back," Marinette said. "That was a very deliberate choice I made. I still had feelings for Adrien... but it would have been wrong for me to act on them once he was spoken for."

"And I know just how hard that was on you," Kagami said. "And how hard it will probably be on me to do the same."

"Okay. I'm just going to... blurt this out all at once, okay?" stammered Marinette. "While I have the willpower to say it."

"What is it?" wondered Kagami.

"Kagami... I am not Adrien's girlfriend yet. I... agree with you... that I might be, very soon," Marinette gulped. "But if that happens... I am _not_ going to be the kind of girlfriend who gets clingy and jealous. You need to spend time with him - with and without me, as much as you want to. If your parents put you together at times, I'm fine with that, but don't feel afraid to reach out on your own, too. You need to remain close to him. And I don't want you to feel like you can never _touch_ him again, okay?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," said Kagami.

"I mean... you have feelings for him, and he has for you. I know he does," Marinette replied. "So if you hug him, or peck him on the cheek, or show affection for him that way... I'm not going to be three meters away glaring at you, I promise. You may not be his girlfriend any more, but you are still much more than just a simple friend for him."

Kagami went quiet. "There are kisses, and then there are _kisses_," she mused.

"And I trust you to know the difference between those," said Marinette. "Just like I knew the difference these last few weeks."

The steely expression on Kagami's face broke once more. "And here I was preparing to offer," she ventured, "that if the two of you needed me to step back and give your new relationship time to develop in private... if you would find it difficult to do that with me nearby..."

"You're worried that it would make it weird for _us?_" marveled Marinette. "Kagami... look. It's not as if we would just... make out in front of you or anything like that. Neither of us is like that." _That I know of, anyway,_ she thought to herself. "It's... I feel weird talking about 'us' with Adrien when there isn't even an 'us' yet. But I know that I definitely don't want you stepping out of my life... and neither does Adrien."

Kagami's smile returned... and it seemed completely genuine. "I thank you, Marinette," she said. "I... do not make friends easily. I was very afraid of losing one good one - or two of them."

"I am not going to let that happen. And you are welcome over here any time, just like on Tuesday," Marinette grinned back. "You are my friend with or without Adrien. We're not going to define what we are to each other around what we are to _him_."

"Good. I would not want it any other way," Kagami replied... but her smile did fade slightly. "And as a friend... I feel like there is one thing that I must caution you about."

"Hmmm?"

* * *

From afar, Hawkmoth's brow furrowed.

"Come on, come on..." he muttered. "This barrage of inexplicable positivity cannot last forever, can it? Surely there must be _some_ animosity between you two ready to bubble up!"

Reading the competing waves of emotion as best he could, Hawkmoth came to an abrupt decision. "My Akuma," he commanded, "fly to Marinette Dupain-Cheng _now_. I sense that a moment of truth is at hand."

* * *

"From the moment that I met Adrien... I felt like he was always pulling back, as I said before," Kagami began, solemnly. "A perfect gentleman, a kind-hearted soul, but not someone who was actively looking for a girlfriend. Or at least he was not looking for _me_ to be one; he had someone else already in mind for that. And for the longest time, I was so sure that the someone was you, Marinette."

"I don't believe that it was," replied Marinette. "Not then."

"Which had me wondering... who was this mysterious third girl that had captivated him so strongly?" said Kagami. "Certainly not Chloe Bourgeois; his body language screamed out _keep your distance_ whenever I saw her close to him. Nor Lila Rossi... I do not know if he even knew her then, but I like to think that he would know better than that if he had."

"Lila is a snake," growled Marinette. "A poisonous one. And Adrien is aware of that."

"I asked you once whom that third girl might be... had he ever spoken of someone in particular, or had you seen him with someone else? And you said that you had drawn a blank on that," Kagami noted. "Well, that came up in our conversation today... and now I know whom that girl was. He admitted it to me, for my own benefit."

"Wait, _what?" _Marinette stammered, her jaw dropping. "There _is_ a third girl in this? For _real?"_

"More _was_ than _is_, if that's any comfort," replied Kagami. "I do believe that he is fully focused on you now. He lights up when he speaks of you, even more than when he spoke of-"

"Of _who?" _Marinette burst out, interrupting her.

"Of Ladybug," Kagami said. "Adrien had a gigantic crush on Ladybug. He had been falling for her for a long time."

* * *

Everything in Marinette's world stopped at once.

There was a faint and familiar voice in the background - Kagami's, she reasoned - and she caught a few phrases in the distance like "I did not mean to alarm you" and "It seemed odd for him to be susceptible to celebrity, given his background" and "Are you _all right?" _But none of those registered fully with her in the moment.

_Adrien... had a gigantic crush on Ladybug_.

The words rang in her skull as if church bells had pealed them out from right inside her room.

_Adrien loved LADYBUG._

She had questioned him that one day why he always left one bedroom window open...

_"I... kind of always had a hope in the back of my head that..." Adrien had trailed off, then shook his head. "No. It's silly."_

The ramifications of _that_ were a rollercoaster in and of themselves. Again, Kagami's voice was but a distant whisper to her - some things about "_he __tried to confess" _and _"he said that she turned him down repeatedly" _that weren't making any sense to the fragments of her conscious mind.

The very, very faint sound of tiny purple wings outside her window never stood a chance of being heard.

* * *

"Get in there!" Hawkmoth encouraged his Akuma. "Whatever Kagami has told her has startled Marinette to her _core_. I have my target... and now all I must do is reel her in. Let us see, once and for all, what makes her tick..."

* * *

_I was my own rival,_ Marinette's brain shouted loudly at her. _I was trying to be Adrien's girl... but I could've been at any time, with just two words!_

_But..._

A calmer thought floated across her mind at that moment.

..._he's fallen for ME. Not as Ladybug... but as Marinette. He doesn't know my secret. He fell for me once in my costume... and then AGAIN without it._

_I don't have to worry about 'is he starstruck by celebrity' or 'would he love the real me?' He already DOES. All of me._

_It..._

_It was..._

_...my being with Adrien really was... always meant to be._

* * *

Kagami did her best to make her voice heard over the phone, as she watched Marinette space out... and then saw a smile form on Marinette's face, a broad one that hinted at happiness running far deeper than Kagami could imagine.

"Marinette! Marinette, wake up!" she repeated. "I did _not_ mean to startle you or worry you like I have..."

"No," Marinette said, very softly, her eyes returning to Kagami's. "You just made me realize something that... that I should have figured out a long time ago. Something wonderful."

"...Are you certain of that?" asked Kagami, suspiciously. "Just then, you looked as if I had smacked you with a club."

"Kagami," smiled Marinette, "there's no way that you could ever know how much you just helped me. But can I ask you why you told me that?"

"Because you supported _me,"_ Kagami replied, "even when your instincts told you that you didn't want to. Because you were my friend, even when you thought that I had taken away the one thing you'd wanted most. And because I know that you'll be so good to Adrien... so I want you going in with your eyes open. I want it to _work_ for you two."

"If he... _when_ he asks me... I know that it will," Marinette breathed.

* * *

"Unbelievable. _Unbelievable!"_

In his wrath and disgust, Hawkmoth's composure slipped dramatically. "What is the world _coming to_," he lamented, "when you cannot even count on _lovesick teenagers_ to fly off the handle when you need them to? What kind of charmed life does this Marinette lead, what reservoir of willpower does she possess, that only in times of utter despair does she seem at all vulnerable?"

Mentally, he directed the Akuma up into the sky once more as he steadied himself. "You are an elusive little fish, Miss Dupain-Cheng... wriggling your way out of almost every net, even while those around you and who know you rack up an impressive body count. Someday I will craft the perfect lure for you, however... as my intuition keeps telling me that you may be worth that effort."

"And as for you, Miss Tsurugi... bad luck for you today, I suppose, but your taste in friends is also intriguing. You have served me well on prior occasions... and I am glad that your family connections will keep you close at hand. You may yet prove to be a useful pawn again."

"But enough of that," Hawkmoth declared, refocusing on the task at hand and closing his eyes. "I shall not waste this Akuma. Who _is_ feeling strong emotions in Paris right now, and would be a more useful proxy for me?"

He concentrated hard... then emerged from it with a concerned expression.

"Ah... do I truly wish to do this now?" he wondered aloud. "I had not planned on a target who would be hitting so close to home... but... bah. As always, I can adapt around this eventuality."

The Akuma shifted its flight path at Hawkmoth's command, aiming for a different part of the city and a new target. As it zeroed in, Hawkmoth's voice rang clearly:

"_Take him._"


End file.
